Teaching Me
by Wits and the Ditz
Summary: Sasuke was the new teacher. Sakura was the student. It should have ended at that. But sometimes you can't control how you feel, even though it might be wrong. Will everything have to stop?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is by far the most diverse story we've ever written. We don't think there are many stories like this, in which Sasuke is a teacher and Sakura is a student. And the ones that we have read (in our opinion) aren't really good, so we decided to write our own. Hope you guys like it!**

**Important Info: Sakura is 17 and she is a senior in high school. Sasuke's age will be revealed to you guys later. There might be a bit of OOCness in some of the characters. **

**Chapter One**

I sat at the back of the class as usual. Being unnoticed. No one bothered to ask me how my Fall Break was. Then again, who would. It's not like my classmates pay much attention to me. I'm just the strange looking pink-haired geek. I don't have many friends except for my two best friends Hinata and Naruto.

Naruto is actually in this class as well, but he usually arrives late. He is the one that makes English class bearable. Without him, I'd have to hear the boring droning of our crazy teacher Mrs. Hiroshi. But before the break she totally snapped and went ballistic. She yelled at us and said it was our fault she had high blood pressure and had to take pills at night. My guess is that she forgot to take those pills. Anyways, she quit. So now we're going to have a new teacher.

I saw Naruto plop down in the seat next to mine with a smile on his face. "Hey Sakura. What did I miss?" he said, taking off his backpack and placing it on the floor beside his desk.

"Nothing. The new teacher hasn't arrived yet. I hope she isn't old like Mrs. Hiroshi," I said, doodling on my notebook. I do that a lot actually.

"Yeah. I hope she's young too. Maybe with a good body," Naruto said.

"Naruto, you perv!" I said, punching him on the arm. He just laughed it off. I continued drawing insignificant doodles, not paying attention to my surroundings. I stopped when I heard the room get quiet all of a sudden. The girls in my class started to squeal and in curiousity I looked up.

Standing there in front of the chalkboard was the most handsome man I've ever seen. He had dark, intriguing eyes that looked like an endless abyss. His raven hair was styled in messy spikes, but it worked for him. He wore a buttoned-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and casual pants. I held my breath in wonder.

The young man scanned all of our faces briefly ( I blushed when our eyes met for a few seconds) before speaking. "Good morning class. I'm your new English teacher, Mr. Uchiha," he said, writing his name on the board. His handwriting was small, but neat.

He grabbed the attendance sheet that was lying on his desk and started to call out our names. I liked the way he said my name, rolling the r.

"Okay, since I don't know what you guys learned from your previous teacher-," Mr. Uchiha said. People snickered at that part becase Mrs. hiroshi didn't really teach us anything. "I'll start with the basics: grammer. Can anyone tell me what a subject and predicate are?" he asked.

No one raised their hand, but I knew the answer. It was too easy.

"Yes Naruto," Mr. Uchiha said, calling on him when Naruto raised his hand.

"Well, a subject is what the sentence is about. A predicate is when you guess what will happen in the future," he said. Some people laughed.

"I think you got it confused with predict," Mr. Uchiha said, smirking.

"Oh," Naruto said. "I thought you were pronouncing it wrong. In that case, I don't know what a predicate is. But did I get the subject right?" Mr. Uchiha nodded his head.

"Does anyone know what a predicate is?" he asked, coaxing us to answer. If he was nervous, he didn't show it. He sighed and looked at the sheet with all our names on it. I wonder who he'll pick. "Shikamaru Nara," Mr. Uchiha said.

At the sound of his name, Shikamaru raised his head from his desk. "A predicate says something about the subject," he said in a lazy voice.

"That's correct," Mr. Uchiha said, picking up a piece of chalk and writing a sentence on the board. _His body screamed silence in return. _"Can anyone tell me what kind of figurative language this is? I'll give you a hint. It starts with a p."

Again, another easy question. No one raised their hand. I knew Shikamaru knew the answer as well, but he's too lazy to raised his hand because it would involve moving. I looked at Mr. Uchiha, who was waiting patiently. I kinda felt sorry for the guy because no one was participating. I decided to raise my hand.

"Sakura," he said. Everyone turned to look at me.

"It's a personification. A personification gives human-like qualities to objects," I explained. "A body can't really scream in real life." Explaining was unneccessary, but I always did. I can't help myself.

"Well done Sakura," Mr. Uchiha said in approval.

"You're so smart Sakura," Ino whispered to me. I don't know why she was talking to me. She's so popular and I'm... well, I'm not.

"Thanks," I whispered back. But she wasn't looking at me anymore, but at our teacher. Like all the other girls in our class, she was raptured by his handsomeness.

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For being his first day, I think Mr. Uchiha did a good job. I mean, our class isn't the best. Actually, we're the worst. We showed no mercy to Mrs. Hiroshi. We would throw things in the classroom and text on our cellphones. Me, I just doodled in my notebook.

Mr. Uchiha is different from other teachers though. He doesn't talk a lot or give boring lectures. He explains in the least amount of words possible. His style of teaching is quite refreshing.

At lunch, Hinata, Naruto, and I sat next to each other. Ever since those two started dating, I've felt like a third wheel. Is it sad to mention that I've never had a boyfriend? The only boy I've kissed is Naruto, but that was only because I wanted to know how it felt like. Besides, we were twelve, so I'm not sure if it counts. Naruto is more like a little brother to me. At the moment, he doesn't look too happy.

"What's wrong?" Hinata asked him.

"I saw you talking to Kiba in the hallway," Naruto said.

"Are you mad because of that?" she said. I don't think Hinata is aware of the fact that Kiba has a crush on her.

"Yeah. That idiot is trying to get with you," Naruto said, trying to put as much food in his mouth as possible.

"Naruto, would you mind closing your mouth when you chew?" I said. "And Kiba is not trying to get with Hinata." Which was a total lie.

"Yes he is," he said.

"We were just talking about what we did during the break. That's all," Hinata said, giving Naruto a kiss on the cheek. "Sakura, you never did tell me what you did while you were at India."

"Oh, it was amazing! The food was great, although a bit spicy for my taste," I said. "There were lots of statues of their gods in the temples and buildings. They were so beautiful, especially the painted ones."

"Do you have any pictures? I would love to see them," Hinata said.

"Yeah. I just need to get them developed."

"Sakura, you are so lucky that you get to travel. I've never been out of Japan," Naruto said.

"Well, I like the postcards you sent me," Hinata said.

"You do know the whole point of a postcard is so you don't have to write a lot," Naruto said.

"So I wrote a lot," I said, biting into my onigiri. "Anyways, India was a great place to work on my sketching."

"You're so talented. I don't know why you never compete in any of the art shows. You would win hands down," Hinata said. I shrugged.

"When's you're next game Naruto?" I asked. He's in the soccer team and a damn good player.

"This Friday, right after school. We're practicing everyday this week. We also practiced during the break. It was hell," Naruto said.

"Well, everybody's talking about the new teacher Mr. Uchiha. What's he like?" Hinata asked.

"He's young, maybe in his mid-twenties," I said.

"You couldn't keep your eyes off him," Naruto said. "You and all the other girls. I mean, he's not that great." Hinata looked at the two of us, unsure.

"I meant, is he strict or laidback?" she asked.

"Neither. He's more...professional, I guess. He didn't talk much," I added.

"Thank God for that. I don't think I'd be able to stand another droning zombie," Naruto said. Hinata and I rolled our eyes. "You guys should see me practice today. Then we can go out somewhere to eat afterwards."

"Okay," Hinata said excitedly.

I wanted to go as well, but I thought better of it. Hinata and Naruto need their alone time. I'd only be in their way. So just this once, I won't go. "I'd love to, but I can't. My history teacher already assigned a project," I said. "I really need to go to the library and research."

"You can do that another time," Naruto said.

"Besides, that project isn't due until two weeks from now. You have loads of time," Hinata said.

"Well... if you really want me to...fine, I'll go," I said.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Go Naruto! Go!" Hinata and I cheered. We were both sitting on the grass, watching the boy's soccer team practice in the field. Naruto was dribbling the ball with his feet, trying to dodge the cones in his way. We clapped when he finished.

"42 seconds! Good job Uzumaki," the coach yelled, looking at his stopwatch. There was no denying that Naruto was fast. No wonder he is qualified to be on a soccer scholarship for college. Gaara (who is also on the team) congratulated Naruto on his time. If I had to pick Naruto's best guy friend, it would have to be Gaara.

"Sakura, do you want to go to the beach this weekend? We should go before the weather gets cold," Hinata said.

"I guess," I said, taking out my book from my backpack. The book is a collection of Edgar Allen Poe's short stories and poems.

"You are the only girl I know who finds books more interesting that boys," Hinata said, watching me read.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Look around you. There are guys out here, some who have already taken off their shirts," Hinata said. I looked up and saw abs with a healthy amount of sweat. The guys were doing crunches, making their abdominals flex. I stared longer than necessary, but stopped when Hinata waved her hand in front of my face. I immediately snapped out of my little reverie.

"I need to get back to my reading," I said.

"Sakura, who are you fooling? I know you want a boyfriend," Hinata said. I sighed. "Why don't you go out with Gaara? I hear he's available."

"You just want to double date because we're best friends and Naruto and Gaara are best friends," I said. "I mean, Gaara's nice and all, but... I want to date someone with a brain. Practically all the guys in our class are complete idiots. I want to be with someone I can have an interesting conversation with. Is that too much to ask?"

"I have no idea who you just described, but it definitely was not Gaara," Hinata said. "So no double date? You should at least give him a try."

Hinata knows my weakspot. I'm way too nice for my own good. She probably told Gaara to ask me out. And because I'm too nice to reject him, I'll say yes. But what do I have to lose?

"Fine," I surrendered.

"Yay! You won't regret it. Maybe all four of us can go to the beach," she said. "Should we go bathing suit shopping?" But I wasn't listening. I was already back to reading a story written by a tortured soul.

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"How was your day honey?" my dad asked me when he got back from working in the evening. I was busy cooking dinner for the both of us.

"It was good," I said, stirring vegetables together in the skillet.

If you're wondering where my mom is, she's dead. She died when I was ten from skin cancer. It was hard seeing her sometimes. Her harid was gone and her flesh... She used to be beautiful before the cancer the affected her. My mom was the queen of her prom and a child model.

Everyone says I look like her when she was seventeen. I know it's difficult for my dad to see me because I remind him so much of her. He loved my mom very much and her death affected him in a way I can't begin to understand. But for me, the hardest thing was to see my mom's pink hair fall when she got chemotherapy. Her hair was so long and thick. She used to stroke my hair and I could see longing in her eyes. Longing for hair again. But enough of that sob story.

"Do you need help?" my dad asked, slipping his shoes off.

"No, I'm almost done. You could set up the table though," I said. He came in the kitchen and took out two plates, two cups, and two forks. It's been the two of us for a long time.

"Whatever you're making smells good," he said.

"It's stir-fry with pieces of beef and rice," I said. I looked at the food in front of me and the food in the cookbook. They looked the same.

Ten minutes later we were sitting down and enjoying our little meal. My dad praised me on another job well done. Looking at him, I noticed how tired he looked. You see, he's an attorney at a prestigious law firm. With all those cases he's working on, he gets tired pretty fast. But with all that money he makes, we are fortunate to live in this beautiful house and travel to exotic places.

"So Sakura, how was your first day back at school?" my dad asked. "Did anything interesting happen?"

"Not really. We got a new teacher for English. His name is Mr. Uchiha," I said. I didn't mention that I thought he was handsome for an older man.

"Uchiha you say? That rings a bell," dad said thoughtfully. I just shrugged.

"I was wondering if I could go to the beach with Hinata and Naruto," I said.

"Sure," dad said, drinking his tea.

"Can I go shopping for a new bathing suit?" I asked.

"I thought you bought one a few months ago. What's wrong with that one?" he asked.

"Nothing. It's just that Gaara asked me out," I said, not meeting my father's eyes. He is a bit overprotective when it comes to guys.

"Who's Gaara? How come I've never met him before?" my dad said.

"He's in some of my classed and he's in the soccer team as well," I said. My dad leaned back in his chair and looked at me.

"I guess you can go out with him if Hinata and Naruto are going as well. Just don't stay out too late," he said.

"Thanks dad," I said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

--------------------------------------------------------

The next day I was actually excited to go to English class. I sat down in my usual seat and waited for Naruto to come. The late bell was about to ring in one minute. He came just in time, with ten seconds to spare.

BRIIING!!

"Good morning class," Mr. Uchiha said. "Yesterday's lesson was, how can I put it, not up to my standards. Didn't your teacher teach you anything?"

"No," we all said in unison.

"Well, today I'm going to try something new. I want you all to forma group of four. In that group, you will all receive a stack of cards," Mr. Uchiha explained. "These cards will have words that will correspnd with one of these three elements of a story: conflict, symbolism, and foreshadowing." He then pointed to the chalkboard where those words were written in a t-chart.

"You have to match those cards with the correct element. The team that has the most correct will have no homework tonight," he said. That pumped us up. "You will have one minute to form groups now. Go."

Naruto and I naturally paired up. I saw Ino and Sai approaching us. "Hey Sakura! Can we join you and Naruto?" Ino asked. "I know that if I'm in your group, we'll totally win."

"I just don't want any homework," Sai said, sitting down next to me.

"Uh...," I said.

"Sure," Naruto said, smiling. Ino sat down next to Sai.

"Okay, here are the cards and tape," Mr. Uchiha said, passing them out to each group.The cards were different colors and there were a lot in each stack. We got stuck with the green cards. "You have twenty-five minutes. Go!"

Would it be a surprise if I say that I mostly did all the work? Ino and Naruto helped, but Sai was just useless. Naruto was the one who taped the cards to the chalkboard in their appropiate column.

"I just know we're going to win," he said excitedly. I knew he didn't want any homework as well.

"I'd help out, but it seems like you guys don't need me," Sai said.

"Thanks Sai," Ino said sarcastically. "Isn't this foreshadowing? _A dark figure loomed over him_," she read.

"Yeah. Naruto, go put it up," I said.

"Mr. Uchiha picks really depressing stuff to put on these cards," Ino said. "_Getting hit by a car_."

"That's a conflict," I said. "And it's not depressing. I think he likes the darker aspects in life. You know, the tragic things we try to avoid."

"What makes you think that?" Mr. Uchiha said from behind me. I had no idea he was listening.

"Uh...well, a lot of the things you write don't contain happiness. They're full of heavy stuff, like that sentence you wrote yesterday. _His body screamed silence in return. _It was about someone being in pain or anger," I said.

"That was really...insightful. I'm impressed Sakura," he said half smirking, half smiling. I felt myself blush. "I should probably leave you to finish the assignment. You guys have five minutes left," Mr. Uchiha said, looking at his watch. He walked away to his desk. I stared at his retreating back until Naruto snapped his fingers in front of my face.

"Sakura, stop daydreaming. We've got five minutes and I really don't want any homework tonight," Naruto said.

Those five minutes passed quickly and Mr. Uchiha told us to stop. He counted each teams cards that were taped and checked if they were correct. I secretly admired his broad shoulders and gutless stomach. How old is he? I want to know.

"Congratulations Sakura, Naruto, Ino, and Sai. You four will not have any homework tonight," Mr. Uchiha said. Both Naruto and Ino were obviously happy. Sai just looked indifferent, as usual. "For the unfortunate rest of you, complete pages 42 through 46 of your workbok." They all groaned as the bell to end class rang. "See you all tomorrow."

I grabbed my backpack and started to file out of the room with the rest of my classmates. Naruto was by my side with a goofy grin on his face. "You know what Sakura? I think I might actually like Mr. Uchiha as a teacher," he said.

"Me too," I said quietly.

---------------------------------------------------------

After school, I went straight to the library in search for books for my project. Wandering along the bookshelves, I found myself in the poetry section, my favorite section. I was looking for the second volume of Poe's works, although I've probably read it about four times already. I found it. I was about to grab it when I felt a hand on the book as well.

"I'm sorry," I said, looking up to see Mr. Uchiha's handsome face. My brain immediately froze (or something like that) because I couldn't come up with a single thing to say. I just stood there like an idiot. I don't know what was so intimidating about seeing him this up-close.

"Ah, Sakura," he said. His brain obviously wasn't frozen. "You don't need to apologize. You can have the book. I've read it before anyways."

"You have?" I asked. "Me too. I just love Poe's poetry. Too bad his poems weren't as popular when he was alive as they are now."

"He was accused of being mad, since a lot of his stories were quite different from others," Mr. Uchiha said. "I think he was just misunderstood, like we all are."

I don't think I'm misunderstood, just unnoticed. Of course, I didn't say that outloud. "What are you doing here?" I asked, curious.

"I got bored grading papers," Mr. Uchiha said with a serious face. I laughed a little, but remembered I was at the library. "Actually, I just came here because I enjoy the quiet that the library has to offer. Don't you find it calming?"

I nodded my head. I couldn't believe that Mr. Uchiha and I were actually having a conversation out of school. All my relationships with my teachers begin and end in class. If I do see them someplace else, I don't bother talking to them.

"Why do you like poetry so much?" Mr. Uchiha asked. He was leaning on one of the bookcases with his hands in his pockets.

"Uh, well, because it's always been a great escape from life. Reading poems, they're like lyrics to a particular mood you're feeling. Sometimes, it's like the words I read are the words I could draw," I said. Mr. Uchiha may not know this, but I'm opening a bit of myself to him. Poetry really helped me get through my mom's death.

"You mean, you can relate to what the poems are trying to say. You must have good interpretation Sakura. A lof of Poe's subjects are about insanity and loss," Mr. Uchiha said, looking at me. "You impress me more and more." I felt a blush creep on the side of my neck.

"What's your favorite poem?" I asked.

"Hm. Hard to choose, but I have to go with _The Raven_," he said. "_Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before-._"

"_But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token, and the only word there spoken was the whispered word 'Lenore,' _" I said, finishing for him. Mr Uchiha smiled, small but enchanting. I liked it.

"_This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, 'Lenore.' Merely this and nothing more_," he whispered. "You have it memorized I see."

"Well, yeah," I said, faintly embarrassed. God, I must sound like some sort of geek who spend her free time memorizing poems. No wonder the guys in my class show no interest in me. Besides Naruto, who only sees me as a friend.

Mr. Uchiha quickly glanced at his watch and made a face. "Sorry Sakura, but time goes by fast. We've been talking for twenty minutes. I have a meeting I need to go to in a few minutes."

"Oh. See you tomorrow Mr. Uchiha," I said.

Looking back at me he said," My name is Sasuke, by the way."

--------------------End of Chapter One---------------------

**A/N: Love it? Hate it? Tell us what you think (and be brutally honest, well ok, maybe not so brutal). It's going to be interesting to find out how this story is going to turn out as it progresses. Expect the next chapter to come out some time later next month since we are SUPER busy with school and writing our other stories. We are so behind with updating ****Countryside to Citystreet**** and we really don't want to have to resort to putting it on hiatus. **

**The poem **_**The Raven **_**is one of our favorites by Edgar Allen Poe. We LOVE it! We recommend that if you haven't read it yet, you should. **

**DarkAngelz99**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thank you to all of those who reviewed and alerted this story. We love you guys!**

**Thanks (in no particular order): SakuraUchiha14, pink-strawberries, morgy-mo-chan, Random and ShikaGal, Princess of drama, secular cladestine, Vivi-G Weasley, shinobusurai, broken neko angel, cherryheart, Rae Ahn Mae, sasusaku0129, kawaiistalosicgrl, SasuSaku Forever and Ever, and UchihaRen246, AkatsukiDEMONangel, and RamenStealer.**

**Previously on ****Teaching Me****-**

_Mr. Uchiha quickly glanced at his watch and made a face. "Sorry Sakura, but time goes by fast. We've been talking for twenty minutes. I have a meeting I need to go to in a few minutes."_

_"Oh. See you tomorrow Mr. Uchiha," I said._

_Looking back at me, he said,"My name is Sasuke, by the way."_

**Chapter Two**

Sasuke.

Sasuke.

Sasuke.

I repeated that name silently in my head. I didn't dare say it aloud. There was something taboo about it. I mean, he's Mr. Uchiha, my teacher! Not Sasuke, a man whom I shouldn't get too close with.

Lying in my bed, I turned to my left side where I could see out my window. The moon was out and the stars were shining. Like always. There are some things you can't change or the consequences will be disasterous. Me having a small crush on Mr. Uchiha, well, that has disaster written all over it.

What is it about him that makes me feel nervous yet comfortable around him? Today at the library...was it really twenty minutes that passed by? Talking to him, I didn't pay attention to the time. Once her left, I couldn't even concentrate on my project anymore. I went straight home and tried to busy myself with painting.

I heard a soft knock on my door. Dad. "Come in," I said, sitting up on my bed. He opened the door and popped his head in.

"Sakura, it's late. You should go to sleep," dad said. He was still in his workclothes because he stays up until midnight sometimes, reading through evidence in his cases.

"Okay," I said, getting underneath my covers.

"Goodnight," he said.

"Goodnight dad," I said. He turned off my lights and closed the door. But I didn't sleep. I couldn't sleep. I replayed mine and Mr.Uchiha's conversation in my head. I didn't want to forget anything; from the way he looked to the way he smirked when I spoke. I can't wait to see him tomorrow in class.

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"So, do you want to go shopping today?" Hinata asked me. I had just parked my car in the school parking lot five minutes ago.

"I can't today. I have to go work at the cafe afterschool," I said, opening my locker to take out my grammer textbook.

"Oh, I forgot," Hinata said. Just like me, she is loaded with money and still has to work. Our dads both agreed that we should learn the value of a dollar. Hinata works as a part-time secretary in her dad's business. "How about tomorrow then?" she said.

"Yeah, I think I'm free tomorrow," I said as we walking in the crowded hallways.

"So, are you excited about your date with Gaara?" Hinata asked me.

"The thought of it is as exciting at getting root canal," I said sarcastically.

"Oh, it won't be that bad! I'm sure the two of you will find out you have lots of things in common," Hinata said.

"Like what?"

"Well, like...like...like the fact that the both of you are interested in the arts. He's into sports and you're into drawing," Hinata said.

"I'm only doing this for you. I have no romantic feelings towards Gaara whatsoever," I said.

"You say that now, but-."

BRRIIING!!

"See you at lunch," I said, walking towards my English class. Hinata gave me a small nod and was soon lost in the crowd of people, heading to their first class of the day.

Opening the door, I was greeted with the sight of Mr. Uchiha, his back towards me as he wrote on the blackboard. I focused on his broad shoulders, my eyes slowly trailing down. Blushing, I realized I was staring at him. And I was being so obvious. Looking around, I saw that none of my classmates noticed. They were too busy talking to each other.

I sat down in my seat at the back os the room, placing my grammer book on my desk. I took out my notebook and started to draw the outline of a figure. I tore out the piece of paper and crumbled it, realizing what I had been doing. I need a distraction, anything to stop from thinking about him.

"Hey Sakura!" Naruto said, sitting beside me. Perfect. Just the kind of distraction that I need. "Are you coming to my game today?"

"Oh Naruto, I'm sorry. But I have work today," I said, truely sorry. I never like missing any of Naruto's games because I know how much they mean to him.

"Are you sure you can't come?" he asked.

"I can't. You know how my dad is. He says I should be responsible and besides, you know I use my work money to pay for gas," I said.

"Yeah, I understand. But that just means you have to come to the next game. Even if I have to kidanp youand tie you to the stands," Naruto said. I laughed, nodding my head.

"Okay, class has started. Settle down," Mr. Uchiha said, quieting us. "Today's lesson is prepositional phrases. Please open your books to page 38."

Every hand gesture, every lip movement I memorized. The lesson itself wasn't that important, but his words intrigued me. The sound of his voice, deep and husky, fascinates me. I want to hear ir everyday, whispering my name.

Wait, this is just too crazy. I shouldn't be thinking this. But I can't help it...I can't help myself from thinking these thoughts. These impossible thoughts. I'm a smart girl, I should know better than that. Mr. Uchiha and I...that's _never, ever _going to happen. _Never. _He only sees me as his student. But why did he tell me his first name? And so casually?

There I go again. Thinking. I'm always thinking. I should stop now. Yeah, that's it. I'll jus-

Why is he so effortlessly handsome? His dark eyes look like they're devoid of emotion, but I know there's something in them. When the light catches his eyes, I can see a burning fire in them.

"...describes the positon where the object is," Mr. Uchiha said, finishing his lesson. He had written a few examples on the board. "_The little girl hid in fear under her bed. _Under is the preposition."

His examples are always dark and morbid. Is he like that too? One conversation isn't enough to tell how a person is. Oh, it's like the gods are out to torture me. My thoughts seem to be occupied by nothing else but him. And it's barely been three days since I've met him.

Mr. Uchiha passed out some worksheets that we had to work on. Once we were all finished, we corrected them as a class. "Very good. I'm already starting to see an improvement with this class," Mr.Uchiha said as the bell rang. "For homework, complete pages 47 through 49 on your workbooks. See you all on Monday."

I waited until everyone had left (I told Naruto to walk on without me). It was just the two of us. "Um...Mr. Uchiha?" I said, cautiously. He turned around from erasing the chalkboard to look at me.

"Sakura, shouldn't you be going to your next class? You're going to be late," he said.

"I have a question," I said.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Yesterday, at the library...why did you tell me your first name?" I asked. I made it seem like it was a big deal to me. Honestly, it is.

"Well, we were having a discussion about a great poem, as equals. Not as teacher or student. If I meet a new aqcaintance, I'd like to introduce myself to that person. It's the polite thing to do," Mr. Uchiha said.

Not as teacher or student. That sentence opened up all these impossible possibilities to me. Does he...no, he just sees me as an equal; someone to discuss great literature with. But that's a step up than him seeing me as a student. I'm something more to him now.

"Right," I said, agreeing with him. "I better go or else I'll definitely be late for Calculus II."

"Sakura, why do you always sit in the back?" Mr. Uchiha asked, truely curious. I don't blame him. I'm a smart girl. Smart people always sit in the front.

"No one pays attention to the people sitting in the back," I said. Being invisible, that's my thing. I never liked the attention my pink hair gave me (or the ridicule).

"That's not true," he said.

"But it is. If you want to get noticed, all you need to do is sit in the front where everyone can see you. No one looks towards the back of the classroom," I said.

"You have a good point there. It'd be refreshing to see a new face sitting in the front though," Mr. Uchiha said. "Now hurry along Sakura, or you're going to be late for Calculus. I'm not going to write you a note." I nodded my head lamely, walking out of his classroom into the deserted hallways.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Watching Hinata feed Naruto sushi made me feel lonely (and quite pathetic as well). I felt like I was intruding something private, meant for two people only. Everytime they kiss in front of me, I am reminded of what I'm lacking: love. Unconditional love.

But I'm happy for Naruto and Hinata. They are perfect for each other; soulmates. They're even applying to the same colleges so they can still be together. I know what they have is no typical relationship, it's more deeper than that.

"Mm, Hinata, you're the best cook ever!" Naruto said, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Thanks Naruto," Hinata said.

"Well, what can I say? I know how to appreciate good food when I taste it," he said. Hinata and I both laughed.

"You are going to bring the food aren't you?" I asked her.

"Yeah. We're going to have a small picnic on the beach," Hinata said. "Remind me to bring my sun block. You know how easily I burn."

"I don't know what the big deal is from getting sun burned," Naruto said, who had tanned skin. He _NEVER _got sun burned.

"It hurts," I said. "Your skin gets all red and it hurts to move."

"Oh," Naruto said, grabbing a sushi with his chopsticks. "It sounds awful."

"It is," Hinata said. "Oh, that reminds me. Sakura, the date is tomorrow and since you can't go shopping today, I'll just buy your swimsuit."

"Hinata, just don't buy me something, you know, revealing," I said.

"I won't. Trust me, I would never buy anything like that for you or me," she said.

"You better not. I don't want any guy looking at you," Naruto said to Hinata. "And you too Sakura. You're like a sister to me."

"Thanks Naruto," I said, taking a sip from my water bottle. Then I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to see Gaara standing behind me.

"Sakura," he said, so only I could hear," can't wait for our date tomorrow. It'll be nice to see you in a tiny bathing suit." Then he left.

"Hinata, remind me why I agreed to this," I said, sighing.

"Why? What did Gaara say?" she asked.

"He just proved to me that he's like all the other boys: a pervert!" I exclaimed.

"I am _not _a pervert!" Naruto said. Several people turned to look at him, sniggering. "Well, maybe a little." I rolled my eyes.

"Naruto, I am amazed you still haven't corrupted our innocent Hinata with your dirty mind," I said.

"Can we stop talking about this?" Hinata asked, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Okay," Naruto and I said in unison.

"Jinx!" he said, stretching his hand out. I put my hands in my pocket, taking out a five dollar bill. I handed it to him. "Alright! I'm five bucks richer!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sand was hot beneath my feet. The closer I got to the ocean, the cooler the sand felt. I ran the extra feet to the water, my friends trailing behind. A small wave hit me, splashing me with salty ocean water. I laughed, the sun smiling down on me.

Gaara and Naruto were surfing more farther into the ocean where the big waves were. Hinata was swimming a few feet away from me. She was wearing a modest two-piece bathing suit that had flower designs. The bathing suit she picked out for me was cute. It's bright pink (now I really stand out) with white polka dots. The only negative thing about that is that it gives Gaara a perfect view of my chest. He couldn't keep his eyes off there! I had to cross my arms over my chest everytime he talked to me.

"Lunchtime!" Naruto called out, hungry. We all gathered by the blanket with food on top of it. It was mostly sandwiches, riceballs, fruit, and lemonade. Hinata was sitting next to Naruto, laughing about something he said. Gaara sat very close to me, making me feel uncomfortable.

"I heard you guys won the game yesterday," I said to him, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah, we did. We smoked the other team. Eight to one," Gaara said, eating grapes. Then he looked at me and threw a grape at my face. I just stared as he laughed good-heartedly. "You were supposed to catch it with your mouth. Here, let's try it again." He threw me another grape and I opened my mouth to get it but I missed. We were both laughing. Hinata and Naruto turned to look at us, wondering what was so funny.

"Okay, this time for sure," I said. Gaara threw the grape and I caught it in my mouth, savoring the juicy taste. "Mmm. Delicious."

Gaara ran his tongue over his lips, looking at me with hunger in his eyes. I turned my head away, trying to avert his gaze. "You're shy aren't you? Or do you just not like me?" Gaara asked.

"I don't even know you that well," I answered nicely.

"You could get to know me more if you want to," he said, moving closer towards me. I lookekd at Hinata and Naruto for help.

"Hey Gaara, why don't we all play soccer? I brought my soccer ball with me," Naruto said.

"Good idea Naruto," Hinata said.

"Yeah," I said, grateful to the both of them.

"Okay. How about boys vs. girls," Gaara suggested.

"What? No, it wouldn't be fair," I said. "Both you and Naruto are on the soccer team."

"Fine, Naruto and Hinata can be on one team and you'll be with me," he said smiling. "You know, you could have just asked me if you wanted to be on my team so badly."

I mentally groaned. Gaara totally misinterpreted things. I was going to kill Hinata for this. She owes me. Big time.

We set up the game so there was only one goal (and no goalie) so whichever team got the ball inside of it would get one point. It was actually quite fun and I even made two goals. Naruto and Hinata won though.

"Oh yeah! Losers!" Naruto said, making an L with his thumb and index finger.

"Cheater! You tripped me fool," Gaara said.

"It is a game. Let's just say it was a moment of competition," he said.

"More like a moment of insanity," Gaara said. I couldn't help but laugh. I'll admit that Gaara can be funny sometimes. But he's still a pervert.

"Okay, the sun's almost setting. Should we call it a day?" Hinata said.

"C'mon Hinata. It's too early to leave. Let's just watch the sunset. Then we can pack up and leave," Naruto said.

"I second that," I said, but soon regretted it when I saw Gaara looking at me.

"How romantic Sakura," he said. "I always wanted to watch the sunset with a pretty girl." I forced a smile because he was being nice after all. But I feel kind of guilty, like I'm leading him on or something. He's not that bad of a guy. I just don't like him like _that._

All four of us sat down on our towels, watching the beautiful colors in the sky, the dimming glow of the sun. The silence was serene. The clouds slowly drifted away as the sun hid behind the horizon. If only I had my sketchbook with me so I could draw the sunset. It was masterpiece beautiful.

I felt Gaara's arm around my shoulder and I didn't even bother to shake him away. Instead I closed my eyes and pretended it was someone else's arm around me. Someone with midnight hair and onxy eyes.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Who the hell works on a Sunday? God did not intend for us to work on Sunday and yet here I am at the Chocolatte Cafe, serving a couple their order. Oh, life is cruel sometimes. And so is my boss Mr. Takahiro. He woke my peaceful sleep to call and inform me that he was one staff member short and if I could kindly come and fill in. And I was stupid enough to say yes.

Working at the cafe isn't so bad. Actually, it's kind of easy; take orders, smile politely, and bring costumers their coffee. It definitely isn't rocket science. I just really wanted to go to the new exhibit in the museum today. I am such a geek.

I was at the counter when I saw Mr. Uchiha enter. He was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that showed his muscular arms. He looked younger in those clothes. I followed him with my eyes. He sat down at a table for two (in my section). My heart started to beat fast. Was he waiting for someone... a date perhaps? Please no. But he's a good-looking man, of course he's going to have a girlfriend. I really am stupid for thinking he'd be single. Not with a face like that.

"Sakura, can you get that guy's order? I really need to go to the bathroom," Tenten said. She's my co-worker and we both share the same section in the cafe.

"Um...yeah. No problem," I said, getting my notepad from my apron pocket. I walked over to Mr. Uchiha with a timid smile on my face. I bet his girlfriend is smart and beautiful like a model. Her hair is probably a normal color. Not pink like mine.

"Hello Mr. Uchiha!" I said in a loud, perky voice that totally wasn't me. "What can I get you?" I asked, pen ready to write.

"Sakura, it's so nice to see you. I didn't know you worked here," he said.

"Well, my dad sort of forced me to get a job. But it's not too bad since I get to make a little extra money for me," I answered. "Anyways, I should probably be doing my job right now if I don't want to lose it. What would you like?"

"A black coffee with no sugar," Mr. Uchiha said. I wrote it down.

"You don't have much of a sweet tooth do you?" I asked.

"No, not really," he said.

"Are you waiting for someone?" I asked. Argh, I'm just abusing my tongue with unneeded words. It's none of my business if he's with someone or not. "Um... nevermind, I shou-."

"It's okay, I don't mind. To answer your question, no I'm not waiting for someone. I just like to enjoy a good cup of coffee and this cafe is one of my favorites. You must find it weird that I'm here all by myself," he said. "A lot of people do."

"Well, I don't. People should do a lot more things by themselves. They might actually learn something new about themselves that they didn't know before," I said.

"My thought exactly," Mr. Uchiha said, a smirk playing on his face. I blushed, trying to hide it with my hands oh-so casually.

"I should get your coffee now. I'll be right back," I said, walking back to the counter.

So he's here by himself. Good. But I still don't know if he's single or not. I shouldn't even be worrying about this. It's useless.

I got Mr. Uchiha his coffee and walked over to his table. "Here you go. I'd ask if you'd want any cake or pie, but something tells me you don't want any. I'll bring your check later," I said.

"Thanks," he said, grabbing the huge mug and smelling the coffee's strong aroma. I was going to say something witty but Mr. Takahiro was giving me the eye. That meant I had to go and clean some tables. I went to the back of the counter and grabbed a rag. I cleared a few tables and handed dirty plates to other workers to wash. I was so busy that I didn't have time to watch Mr. Uchiha. When I did, I saw that he was reading a book. He was really engrossed in it.

"Who are you looking at?" Tenten asked, trying to follow my gaze. "Oh. He's cute. Do you think he's a sophmore in college, like me?"

"He's my English teacher," I said, watching as Mr. Uchiha turned a page. Every now and them he'd stop to take a sip from his coffee.

"He's your teacher? No way! How old is he?" Tenten asked, surprised.

"That I don't know. And it's really bugging me," I confessed.

"He's obviously in his twenties, that's for sure. But why is he a teacher? With those looks he could be a model," she said. I silently agreed with her.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I have to bring him his check," I said, walking over to Mr. Uchiha.

"Ah, Sakura. Have you read this book?" he asked, pointing to the cover. One Hundred Years of Solitude it read. I shook my head.

"No, I haven't."

"Well, I recommend that you read it. It's a marvelous book and the story, I don't want to give it away, but it's exceptionally written. The characters breathe life into the story," he said.

"Okay. If it's as good as you say, I'll go to the bookstore after work and buy it," I said, memorizing the title in my head.

"My opinion counts that much, huh?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, confident in my response. He leaned back in his chair to look up at me.

"Your hair...," he said.

"What?" I said, touching it. Did I have something in my hair? How embarrassing.

"Is it naturally pink?" he asked. I blinked at the bluntness of his question. Then I laughed because he's probably been wondering that since the day he met me. Mr. Uchiha crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at me. I stopped laughing and collected myself.

"Yes, my hair is naturally pink," I said. "It's an unusual color, I know."

"Unusual, yes. But unique as well," he said. Then he looked at his check and took out his wallet. He gave me a ten.

"I'll just giv-."

"You can keep the change for being a good server," Mr. Uchiha said, standing up to leave.

"Thanks," I said, smiling.

"Goodbye Sakura, see you tomorrow," he said, holding his book at his side.

"You too Mr. Uchiha," I said, waving a small goodbye. Once he walked out the door I went back to the counter with Tenten.

"Ohmygod Sakura! Girl, he was totally checking you out. I was surprised your butt didn't fall off from the way he was staring at you. That's some teacher you have," Tenten said.

"Tenten, stop exaggerating," I said. "He wasn't looking at me like that." Or was he? Does he find me appealing? Sasuke...he didn't look like a teacher today, but like someone I can see myself with. Does he want to be with me just as much as I want to be with him? Am I just dreaming a hopeless dream?

"But he was. Look, I know these kind of things," Tenten said, interrupting my thoughts. "What were you two talking about anyways?" she asked.

"A book," I answered. "He's actually an interesting person to discuss things with. And he listens to me, to what I have to say."

"I'd be careful if I were you," Tenten said, grabbing a cookie from the tray and eating it.

"Why?" I asked. She sighed.

"Sakura, just trust me on these kind of things. You're so young and I don't think you've ever been in love before," she said. "You have this idea of what love is, but it's not that great."

"Since when did you become such a pessimist?" I asked her. She laughed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to come off like that. But I might be wrong. Maybe your teacher didn't look at you like _that. _But he did look at you," Tenten said.

But he did look at you.

He looked at me. I'm not invisible to him. I felt a smile forming on my lips. Everyday I feel like we're closer to being something. Something...undescribable.

-------------------------End of Chapter Two---------------------------

**A/N: This chapter turned out totally different than how we planned, but we think the final version turned out great. **

**The book that Sasuke mentioned ****One Hundred Years of Solitude**** is a real book. The author is Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It was traditionally in Spanish, but it's been translated to English.**

**PLEASE REVIEW!! NO FLAMES!!**

**We will try to update A.S.A.P. Love ya'll!!**

**DarkAngelz99**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: It really is an amazing feeling to know that you guys like our story. We appreciate it. And the reviews you wrote were awesome! Thanks. Here's the next chapter.**

**Previously on ****Teaching Me****-**

_"Since when did you become such a pessimist?" I asked her. She laughed._

_"Sorry, I didn't mean to come off like that. But I might be wrong. Maybe your teacher didn't look at you like that. But he did look at you," Tenten said. _

_But he did look at you._

_He looked at me. I'm not invisible to him. I felt a smile forming on my lips. Everyday I feel like we're closer to being something. Something...undescribable._

**Chapter Three**

On Monday morning I took a huge step. I abandoned my comfort zone and sat at the front of the class. I don't know who usually occupies this seat, but no one said anything. Although someone did ask me if I was new to the class. Seriously.

Mr. Uchiha was busy writing on the chalkboard. I can't believe I didn't notice this before, but he's left-handed. This new fact astonished me. I wonder what else he can do that I don't know. He likes poetry, black coffee...I'm craving to know more about him. He's a mystery waiting to be figured out.

"Yo Sakura, why are you sitting here?" Naruto asked. "You usually sit in the back with me."

"I thought a change would be good for me. You don't have to sit in the front if you don't want to," I replied.

"Are you kidding? I'm sitting next to you. Who the heck am I going to talk to in the back? Definitely not that weird guy who picks his nose every five minutes and flicks the snot off his fingers. It almost hit me once, but luckily I dodged it with my cool spidey skills."

"Yeah Naruto, I remember. I was there," I said. Mr. Uchiha's shirt today is a light green. The sleeves, like always, are rolled up to his elbows and now he's looking at the class...or more specifically, he's looking at me. He's a little surprised to see me at the front but he gives me a smalll, encouraging smile before addressing the class.

"Good morning class. How was your weekend?" Mr. Uchiha asked. There were murmurs from everyone, mostly saying that their weekend was good. "Well, I had a good weekend as well. I got a lot of stuff done, even this pop quiz for you guys," he said. We all groaned.

"Please Mr. Uchiha, don't be like that!"

"Yeah, it's Monday."

"I am perfectly aware what day of the week it is. But you're still taking this pop quiz," he said, passing the small tests out. "I assure you that if you did all your homework, then it should be easy. Okay, you may begin now."

The quiz really was easy. I finished in five minutes. While I was waiting for everyone else to finish, I doodled in my notebook. I glanced up only once and saw Mr. Uchiha typing on his computer. He was staring at the screen as his fingers touched the keyboard buttons. The room was silent except for the clickety-clicks coming from him. He was typing fast and urgently.

He collected the quizzes back once everyone was done. "Okay, today we are going to read a short story aloud as a class. It's 'The Cask of Amontillado' by Edgar Allen Poe. I want you all to look out for irony, foreshadowing, and symbols. Turn to page 328 in your book please," he said.

I've already read this story before. I don't like it much because it's so obvious what happens in the end. It's still a good story though. The guy was mad and full of vengeance because his friend insulted him.

"Sakura, why don't you start reading," Mr. Uchiha said. I obliuged. I read four paragraphs before he chose someone else to read. I would rather have had Mr. Uchiha read so I could hear his deep, rich voice. That voice filled my stomach with fireflies, lighting me up inside.

Time passed and the bell rang. Everyone started to leave, except for me. "Sakura, you coming?" Naruto asked, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

"Yeah. I'll just be a minute," I said. There were still a few people left, lingering to talk with their friends before their next class started. Mr. Uchiha was sitting at his desk, writing something down in his small, black plan book. Once Naruto left (probably going with Hinata for a hallway kiss) I approached him. I fake coughed, making my prescence known. He looked up, questioning me with his eyebrows.

"Hi Mr. Uchiha." Sasuke, my mind was saying. "I just wanted to come and say that I started reading that one book you recommended to me. I'm only about a third way into it, but so far it's really good," I said.

"And do you comprehend it?" he asked.

"Kinda. Well, the way the author wrote it, it's hard to figure out what's real and what's not. I mean, in the story it _is _real. But in real life, a lot of things that he wrote about could never happen." Mr. Uchiha nodded his head in understanding.

"Yes, the story does make you wonder," he said. "Are you a realist?" That question caught me off guard.

"Um...I...," I began.

"Oh, shoot. The bell is going to ring soon and my next class is going to arrive. Sakura, get to class and we can continue our discussion later. Okay?" he said, already standing up.

"Okay," I said, happy for later. I left his room, feeling like I accomplished something.

--

"What are you so giddy about?" Hinata asked me as we walked to our science class.

"Me? I'm not giddy. What are you talking about?" I said, trying not to smile. I didn't want to be so obvious that I was excited about something. That "something" involved me talking with Mr. Uchiha later. Although he was very vague, I think he wants me to come to his classroom afterschool. Yes, that must be it.

"Sakura, could it be?" Hinata said. I turned to look at her.

"What?" I said. Does she somehow know?

"You like Gaara, don't you? Are you excited about seeing him in science class?" she asked. Oh no. She's got it all wrong.

"Hinata, no, I don't like Gaara. Honestly, I don't," I said, trying to convince her.

"Are you sure? I saw the two of you getting cozy at the beach," Hinata said, nudging me with her elbow. I involuntarily blushed. Gaara and I were _not _getting cozy. it was Mr. Uchiha whom I was thinking about when Gaara put his arm around me. But it's not like I can exactly tell that to Hinata.

"Think what you want to think, but I do not like Gaara," I said, entering our science classroom.

"Riiiight," Hinata said, sitting down next to me since we are science partners.

"Honestly," I said.

"Then it has to be someone else. Are you going to tell me?"

"Hinata, there's nothing to tell. Can't someone just be happy?"

"Yes, but not without a reason," Hinata said. "Fine, don't tell me. But I'll find out, who ever it is." I sighed, knowing she would never understand.

Classes went by fast and before I knew it, the last bell rang. Everyone quickly packed their things, anxious to go home or hang out with friends. I was anxious too, but for a completely different reason.

I went to the girls' bathroom to take a look at myself in the mirror. I checked my teeth, grateful I didn't have any food stuck in there. My face was free of any blemishes and today was a good hair day for me. I looked down at my blouse and unbuttoned the first three buttons. Then I buttoned them up again. What was I thinking- seducing Mr. Uchiha with my feminine charms?

I left the bathroom and made my way to Mr. Uchiha's classroom. The door was slightly open; a hesitating invitation. Should I knock? What if I just walked in? No, that would be too rude.

"Is someone there?" Mr. Uchiha asked in that deep voice of his. I could hear his footsteps. Quick Sakura, do something!

"Yeah, it's me, Sakura," I said, opening the door all the way and stepping into the empty classroom. Mr. Uchiha was standing a few feet away from me, a tired expression on his face. "I didn't mean to bother you or anything."

"It's okay. I was just grading the quizzes from today," he said.

I should leave. I know I should leave, but... "Maybe I can help you. Grade the papers, I mean," I offered.

"It's a boring task. I don't know why anyone would want to grade papers," he said, walking back to his desk. I followed him, not wanting to create a distance between us. He handed me a red pen, a stack of quizzes, and the answer key. I sat down at the desk closest to him.

"Actually, I came here because I wanted to answer your question," I said.

"So are you a realist?" Mr. Uchiha asked, looking up from the paper he was grading.

"Well, if I said yes, I'd be lying. Just because I don't believe in something it's not like it doesn't exist. There's a world out there, and I've only seen a small part of it. If I venture out and discover new things, only then do those things exist to me," I said.

"I thought that you said that a lot of things that happened in the book could never happen in real life," he said.

"I did say that, but then I thought about it. Things only become real to me if I experience them, and that's my problem. I'm too narrow-minded, but-."

"But you want to believe in unrealistic things because it lets you escape from your troubles. Am I right?" Mr. Uchiha said. I nodded my head slowly, amazed that he took the words from my mouth. In that moment I wanted to tell him everything; about my mom, her death, and how I was beginning to like him more that a teacher.

"We all have troubles, believe me," he said, more to himself than to me. "Everyone has a past. Some are more pleasant than others, but the truth is, we all wish we could go back and fix things even though they're broken beyond repair."

"Exactly," I said, getting a mental picture of my mother in a hospital bed. She was so pale and she looked fragile.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Mr. Uchiha asked, concerned. I realized I was in a daze, remembering.

"I'm fine," I said, looking down at the quiz I was suppose to be grading.

"Maybe this wasn't the best topic to be discussing," he said.

"Oh man, your third period class is horrible," I said, writing another D.

"Yeah, third period is my worst class. They're just not interested in English," Mr. Uchiha said.

"But your class is so interesting. Our old teacher, Mrs. Hiroshi, was just plain boring. She didn't put any life into her teaching and sometimes she would go all psycho on us and start yelling like a lunatic," I said. That made him chuckle a little.

"Students! Students, settle down! Stop throwing those blasted paper airplanes!" I said, imitating Mrs. Hiroshi's shrill voice. "I want order in this classroom! Do you hear me? Order! Who threw what spitball at me? Where are my pills? Class, be quiet!" Mr. Uchiha was laughing now, no longer grading papers. He was looking at me with an amused expression.

"I didn't know you were a comedic," he said, obviously impressed.

"It's one of the many hidden talents that I have," I said.

"It's just that you don't act like this in class. You're kind of quiet and reserved."

"Well, I do have to play the part of a nerd."

"Sakura, you are not a nerd."

"Yes I am. Can't you tell?" I said in a snorting voice (just like how nerds talk in T.V. shows). Both Mr. Uchiha and I burst into laughter. The moment passed and we calmed down, getting back to the quizzes. To pass the time, we talked about anything interesting that came into our minds: politics, foreign food, literature, and over dramatic soap operas.

"Don't they all end the same? They leave you in suspense and then the episode ends," Mr. Uchiha said.

"Yeah, but people want to know what happens next. A climatic ending keeps the audience watching," I answered. "I'm finish with my stack."

"So am I," he said. Actually, we were both finished like ten minutes ago but we were busy talking. "Thanks for your help Sakura."

"No prob," I said, standing up and putting on my backpack. Mr. Uchiha stood up as well and met me by the doorway. "Well, goodbye Mr. Uchiha. See you tomorrow."

"Likewise," he said. We just stood there idly for a few seconds until he stuck out his hand. I awkwardly shook it, his big hand engulfing my small one. "Bye," he said, letting go. I turned around and left, a small smile on my face.

--

"That's horrible," I said at the dinner table. My dad was just explaining to mw his new case. A mother is being tried as the main suspect of drowning her two little kids. "Are you defending this woman?"

"Yes. She's paying lots of money to prove her innocence," he said.

"And do you think she could have done it?" I asked.

"Honestly, I don't know. Her husband, who is prosecuting against her, doesn't have sufficient evidence," dad said. Some of my dad's cases are just awful. "Anything interesting happen to you today?"

"Not really," I replied, taking a sip of my iced tea. "The schoolyear is almost halfway over and I'll have to start applying to colleges soon." Even though my dad is super proud of me, I know once I go away to college he'll be lonely. It'll be just him in this house. I'm worried about him.

"How fast the years go by. It seems like just yesterday you would pounce on me when I came home from work, begging me to read you a story. We had to be quiet because your mom was resting in bed. Do you remember that?" he said.

"Yeah. You would read aloud to me, talking in wacky voices, just like the characters in the story," I said, laughing. "I actually thought you were the Big Bad Wolf." Dad had to smile at that.

"So what are you painting tonight? The stars again?" he asked.

"Constellations," I corrected him. "I've been working on it for two weeks now and I still have a lot of white canvas."

"Sakura, you are a perfectionist. You like to get in every single, little detail," dad said. Which would clearly explain why I memorize every single thing Mr. Uchiha does. It's not like what he does is interesting, but it fascinates me nonetheless. _He _fascinates me.

I want so badly to call him Sasuke and not feel like it's a bad thing. He did tell me his first name, but it's not like I can actually use it. How weird would that be?

"...kura. Sakura, dear, it's not polite to stare blankly," dad said.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't realize I was doing that," I said, spreading a gracious amount of butter on my bread. Crap. Why did I do that? Now I have to eat it like that.

--

"So I spent twenty minutes copying some documents that weren't even useful," Hinata said. She had work yesterday at her dad's office building.

"Sucks for you," Naruto said. "Hey, Sakura, you gonna eat that?" He pointed to my chocolate pudding cup. I shook my head no and gave it to him. "Score!" he said, digging into it. My mouth hung open in sheer horror at the sight of Naruto eating. He doesn't chew, no, he gulps food down at an amazing speed. He should be in a World Record book.

"Umm...," I said, distracted by Naruto's incredible intake of chocolate pudding. "What was I saying?"

"You wanted to watch that new movie coming out next week," Hinata said.

"Oh right. I heard it was going to be scary," I said.

"Sounds interesting," Naruto said. "Let's go watch it this weekend."

"I don't know, do you think you can handle it Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah," he said.

"You had nightmares the last time we saw The Ring," I pointed out.

"Well, that girl was freaky looking," Naruto said. "If you're dead, then you should stay dead. That's all I have to say."

The bell rang and lunch ended. As I walked to my next class, I caught a glimpse of Mr. Uchiha in the teacher's lounge. He was throwing away his lunch which consisted of the remains of a sandwich, potato chips, and a water bottle. Ha! So that's the kind of stuff he eats. It's all healthy, except for the potato chips. I smile, then quickly walk away before he can look up and know I was watching him.

History class was pretty uneventful, except for the small fact that Gaara kept staring at me from across the room. I didn't notice until I looked at the clock (which is also in his direction) and saw that he was staring at me. And quite obviously too. Then...he winked at me! He actually winked. I was so embarrassed and prayed that no one else that. oh God, why me? I didn't ask for this. I _don't _want Gaara to like me.

I never should have accepted to go on a date with him. Because of that he thinks I'm interested in him. And I'm not.

After class ended, I was the first out the door, not wanting to face Gaara. I thought I was home free until I heard him call my name. Loudly. A few people turned around in the hallway to look at me. If only I could shrink in size...

"Sakura! Yo, Sakura, wait up!" Gaara called out. I stopped.

"Oh, Gaara, was that you calling me? I didn't hear you," I said. Total lie.

"It's ok. So, whatcha doing afterschool?" he asked, walking beside me.

"I have to work," I said, not lying this time. Thank God.

"Oh," he said, sounding disappointed. "Well, I was thinking if you wer-."

"Would you look at the time?" I said, looking at my invisible watch. "Sorry Gaara, but I have to go. my boss can be grumpy if I show up late. Bye."

"Bye," he said, pulling me into a quick embrace. I blushed.

"Bye," I said again, walking to the school parking lot. He did not just hug me.

I drove to the Chocolatte Cafe and parked in the employees section. I saw Tenten's car so I knew she was already here. I entered through the back and put on my apron with my nametag on it. I pulled my short hair into a ponytail, tying it with an elastic. "Hey," I greeted Tenten.

"Hey to you too," she said, cutting out a piece of carrot cake for a customer. "I'm busy right now, but talk to you later, ok?"

"Yeah," I said, making a fresh pot of coffee. Lee, another guy who works here, came to talk to me since he wasn't busy. He's the same age as Tenten.

"Sakura, umm...your apron has a stain on it," Lee said.

"Shit. Where is it?" I said, looking down at me. Mr. Takahiro has this policy about hygiene and personal appearance, as in NO dirty clothes. Which includes aprons as well. That is why I wash mine every week.

"Right there," Lee said, pointing to my stomach area.

"How did that happen?" I said, looking at the bluish stain. It contrasted against the white of my apron.

"It looks like it could be blueberry," Lee said on closer inspection. I groaned.

"That's because it is. On Sunday I served some customers blueberry pie and I must've gotten some of it on me. What do I do? Lee, help me out."

"It's not even that noticeable," he said, trying to make the situation better.

"It's okay. Just as long as Mr. Takahiro doesn't see me, I'll be fine," I said.

"Yeah, and if you do see him just duck and hide," Lee said. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I gotta go and do my job," I said, spotting a group of friends sitting down in my section, being unattended to. "Hello. What can I get you guys?" I asked. The girls wanted iced coffees with lemon cake and the boys ordered vanilla mochas. I wrote everything down with a smile and went back behind the counter. Once I gave them their order seven minutes later I saw Tenten at the counter, not busy.

"Sakura, guess who I just saw?" she said excitedly.

"I don't know. The pope?" I said, washing my hands in the sink.

"No. Your insanely hot English teacher," Tenten said.

"Mr. Uchiha?" I said, turning around. I saw him. He was here. He was sitting at a table near the windows. Right now he was looking outside, admiring the flowers. "When did he come in?"

"While you were serving those people," Tenten said. "He must sure like coffee a lot. Oh look, those girls are ogling him." I narrowed my eyes at those girls. Don't they know it's rude to stare at people like that? Sasuke was oblivious to it all.

"Guess I better get his order," I said, starting to walk towards him, but Tenten stopped me.

"Sakura, you can't. That's Lee's and Kuri's section. They'll take care of it," she said.

"Right," I said smiling, trying to cover up my disappointment. I saw Kuri go over to Sasuke and...is she flirting with him? She is! I just saw her flip her hair oh-so-casually. How many seconds would it take for me to go where she is and rip off all those dead proteins on her head. But what right do I have to be jealous? He's just my teacher.

And I might actually be falling (deeply) for him. Is there no end to this bottomless hole that I'm falling into? I don't want to hit the ground and have to face reality; Mr. Uchiha is my teacher and I am his student. That's it. There's nothing more. But I just can't leave it at that. I don't know where I'm going with all this, but for once, I've met someone who makes my legs go weak and my stomach flip-flop.

"Kuri is just making a fool out of herself. Can't she tell that he's not interested?" Tenten said. "Besides, I bet he already has a girlfriend."

"He's just annoyed," I said.

"Hm? How do you know?"

"Because he comes here alone for a reason. Mr. Uchiha likes the quiet, but Kuri's non-stop flirting and talking isn't helping him enjoy it. Also, he wants his coffee now and Kuri is just standing there, yakking away," I explained.

"Wow. I never would have guessed," Tenten said. "Are you sure you're not doing a research paper on Mr. Uchiha?"

"No. Why?"

"You're really observant."

"No I'm not. I'm just stating the obvious."

"It wasn't obvious to me," Tenten said.

"I need to go to the bathroom," I said, changing subjects. I didn't really need to go so I just stayed there for two minutes before coming out.

"Sakura," I heard Mr. Uchiha say. "Can you come here?" I nodded my head as I walked to his table. Kuri was gone.

"Hi Mr. Uchiha," I said, dazzling him with my smile.

"Hello. I was wondering if you could give me another cup of coffee, if you don't mind. The other girl put sugar in mine and I, well, I don't like my coffee sweet," he said.

"Yeah, sure," I said, grabbing the still full mug. "I'll be back in a second." I went to the back of the counter and grabbed a new mug, pouring just coffee and nothing else. I decided to give Mr. Uchiha a muffin. A muffin isn't sweet. I ignored Tenten as she gave me a look of disapproval. "Here you go," I said to Mr. Uchiha.

"Thanks, but I didn't ask for a muffin," he said, slightly confused.

"It's okay. It's on the house," I said, placing the muffin next to his coffee. "Or do you not like muffins as well?"

"No, I do," Mr. Uchiha said. "See?" Then he picked up the muffin and bit a chunk off it, chewing. He smiled at me when he was done swallowing.

"Okay, I believe you," I said, leaving to attend other people. I came back to his table to refill his cup. Mr. Uchiha was writing a letter it seemed. "Who are you writing to?" I asked, not thinking. I mentally slapped myself for being nosy.

"My brother," he replied, not mending my nosiness. "He lives in Osaka with his fiance. I like to keep in touch with him as much as I can."

"Oh," I said. I had no idea he even had a brother. Then realization hit me. Hard. I practically don't know anything about Mr. Uchiha. "What does your brother do?" I asked.

"He works in construction," he said.

"So he builds houses?" I said, making sure.

"No, he's a landscaper."

"Wow," I said. They make _a lot _of money. (I know this because one of my dad's friends is a landscaper.) Then I felt kinda bad because Mr. Uchiha's job as an English teacher in a prestigious high school doesn't sound as interesting as being a landscaper. I decided it was time to change the subject. "I went to India during the Fall Break. Did you know that the people there believe in reincarnation? I think It'd be cool to live again in a different body. But I would want to rebirth as a bird."

"Why?" Mr. Uchiha said, looking at me with inquisitive eyes. He was unduly curious to hear my response.

"So I can fly," I answered, spreading my arms on either side of me. He stared at me for the longest time, a smile slowly forming on his lips. I put my arms down to my side.

"That was the most meaningful thing I've ever heard," Mr. Uchiha said. "You're not even done with this life and you're already thinking about the next. A bird, what a beautiful choice."

"Thanks," I said, trying not to blush. "I've never really told anyone that, but it's been in my mind for a long time. I thought it was just a stupid idea, but I held onto it."

"Well, I'm gla-."

"Sakura!" Tenten yelled. "I need your help! The coffee machine doesn't work."

"Umm...I have to go," I said to Mr. Uchiha.

"Yeah," he said, "I didn't mean to stop you from working."

"No, it's okay," I said, walking to Tenten. "The coffee machine doesn't work? That's odd." I looked at it then noticed it wasn't plugged into the outlet. "Who unplugged it?" I said, plugging it in.

"I don't know," she said. "Weird, huh?"

"Tenten.."

"Hm?"

"Did you unplug it?"

"Me? No. Why would I?"

"I don't know," I said, looking at Mr. Uchiha. He was stuffing his letter into a white envelope. The sight of his tongue licking the sticky part of the envelope sent shivers up and down my body. His tongue looked wet and wonderfully pink. Does it feel soft?

"Lee, go give that guy his check," Tenten said. "I think he's ready to leave now."

"OK," he said, walking to Sasuke and handing him his check.

"Sakura, I think you're overworking yourself. Maybe you should take the weekend off," Tenten suggested.

"Tenten, I'm perfectly fine," I said, waving at Mr. Uchiha as he walked out the door to his car.

--

I mixed my indigo and violet to create a darker shade that was almost black, but not completely. I painted the night sky, trying to make it look endless. I already finished painting a couple of constellations, like the Big Dipper, but my canvas was still incomplete. I stood up from my stool and concentrated.

The air was cool and I could hear the music of crickets chirping, their song settling me to ease. The overall mood was calm. I dipped my brush again into the paint. Where shall I put this painting in my studio? I'll worry about that later. Right now, this is what matters. Me, my brush, and the stars.

My thoughts drifted to many things. Mr. Uchiha in particular. Another week has gone by and I'm still excited everytime I see him. This isn't normal. I'm not even trying to fight my feelings. You know why? I'm falling in love with Mr. Uchiha and I'm not going to hold back. This sounds crazy...but, I think he might like me too. I'm not stupid. I can sense it. He's just trying to fight it, but it's not working. He may be scared to make the first move, but I'm ready. I want him to know that.

--End of Chapter Three--

**A/N: Please review because we want to get at least 20 reviews before updating again. This story is quite interesting to write. We've never written a story like this before and we have NO idea how it's going to turn out. We're just as curious as you are. **

** DarkAngelz99**

**P.S. Thanks again for actually reading this story and enjoying it so much. We were kinda a bit discouraged when we first thought of this because, quite frankly, we thought it was going to suck bad. **

**P.P.S. Beware of trains. One of our classmates died by getting hit by a train. Not to gross you out with details, but the police are still trying to find the rest of his body. It's a tragic way to die, really. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's the next chapter!**

**Previously on ****Teaching Me-**

_My thoughts drifted to many things. Mr. Uchiha in particular. Another week has gone by and I'm still excited everytime I see him. This isn't normal. I'm not even trying to fight my feelings. You know why? I'm falling in love with Mr. Uchiha and I'm not going to hold back. This sounds crazy...but, I think he might like me too. I'm not stupid. I can sense it. He's just trying to fight it, but it's not working. He may be scared to make the first move, but I'm ready. I want him to know that. _

**Chapter Four**

Call me delusional. Call me crazy. Just don't call me stupid for what I'm going to do next.

It's quiet afterschool, save for the few people who are still here, which includes me. Right now I'm walking towards Mr. Uchiha's classroom. Hopefully he's still here, unlike the last couple days. He's not trying to avoid me, is he? No, he can't be because he went to the cafe yesterday and we talked. For being handsome, his mind is what really attracts me. I can talk to him and not feel like I have to dumb myself down (or use elementary vocabulary). I can be just me.

When I get to Mr. Uchiha's door, I knock on it urgently. Not because I'm in ahy hurry, no, it's because I'm nervous. My thoughts are debating with one another; how shall I start it off? I haven't practiced for anything like this. Calling it a confession seems so dumb, yet, that's exactly what I'll be doing.

A few seconds later I'm greeted with Mr. Uchiha's surprised face; surprised to see me standing outside his classroom. "Sakura...what are you doing here?" he said slowly.

"Umm...I-I..." What a horrible time to suddenly become speechless. "How are you?" I asked, going for the simple approach.

"I'm fine," Mr. Uchiha said.

"Good. Th-That's good," I said. He looked kind of uneasy.

"Sakura," he said, looking down at the floor. There wasn't anything interesting about the clean tiles, but I think he was trying to avoid eye contact with me. "I think it's best if you go home. I have a conference with a parent concerning his son's grades in five minutes." My heart sank.

"Oh, of course," I said, nodding my head. Did he just make up this excuse? He looked up. "I'm sorry for disturbing you," I said quietly.

"You weren't dis-."

"It's ok. I'll just leave. I have tons of homework anyway," I said, turning around and running. I think I heard Mr. Uchiha yell my name, but I'm not sure. I wasn't going to stop.

This was going to be harder than I thought.

--

"Romeo and Juliet. A tragic love story and one of William Shakespeare's well-known plays," Mr. Uchiha said the next day in class. He was passing out an abridged version of the origianl copy.

"Mr. Uchiha, not to diss you or anything, but, a love story? I thought you had better taste," Naruto said. Other guys in the class agreed with him.

"It's not just a love story Naruto. There's drama, conflict, and death," Mr. Uchiha said.

"Really? Okay, I guess I'll give it a try," Naruto said, opening the pamphlet. "Everything's like in Old English."

"Well, Shakespeare was alive during the 1500's," I told him. "People talked different back then."

"Okay class, let's have a little discussion before we start reading," Mr. Uchiha said. "As you all know, Romeo and Juliet both die because they thought their love was more important than their family's hate. Do you think boyfriends or girlfriends are more important than family?" And that question launched a heated discussion.

Mr. Uchiha kept asking us questions about love, but there was a particular one that caught my interest. "Should you date someone your own age?"

"Well, if they're like a few years older than you, then yeah," one girl said, "I guess it would be okay."

"But if there's like a HUGE age difference, it would be kinda gross," a guy sitting behind me said.

"I don't think it matters how old you are because love isn't a number," I spoke up, looking directly at Mr. Uchiha. "When you truly love someone, you see them for who they are, not their age."

"What if the person you love is, like, forty years old? That'd be weird," Ino said.

"It'd be like dating your dad or something," someone said.

"If you loved them, then it wouldn't matter," I said, frustrated that they couldn't understand.

"I agree with Sakura," Naruto said, saving me.

Mr. Uchiha stayed silent, taking everything in. He seemed to be in serious thought. Damn, I wish I could read his mind. "I think that's enough. Let's begin with Act 1, Scene 1," he said. Then he assigned us roles. I was Lady Montague.

I wasn't even paying attention to my lines (I only had a few). I was studying Mr. Uchiha with my eyes. As long as he wasn't noticing, I could keep watching him secretly. The more I looked at his perfect physique, I felt like picking up a pencil and drawing him.

I wonder what he thought about today's discussion. Does he agree with me?

The bell rang and Mr. Uchiha announced there was no homework tonight. He looked at me quickly, pleading with his eyes. He pleaded for me to leave to my next class; to not linger in his classroom far more than necessary.

"Sakura, c'mon," Naruto said.

"I'm coming," I said after looking at Mr. Uchiha again. He seemed almost regretful.

"What's with the long face?" Naruto asked me. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," I said. "I think I'm just tired."

"Are you getting enough sleep?"

"Same as always."

"Well, don't worry about it. It's probably because of all the extra credit you do Ms. A+ genius," Naruto said. "See you at lunch." Then he walked in the direction of his next class and I went to Calculus.

At lunchtime I sat with Naruto and Hinata as usual. Although today there was an extra addition to our table: Gaara. "Hey guys. Do you mind if I sit with you for today?" he said, a big smile on his face, obviously meant for me. I smiled back politely as Hinata said no, we wouldn't mind. He plopped down next to me and I saw how heavy his tray was with food. Does everyone in the soccer team eat a lot?

"Sakura, you look very pretty today," Gaara said, chewing his greasy slice of pizza with his mouth open. I could see EVERYTHING.

"Um, thanks," I said, looking at my lap.

"So...Gaara, what brings you to our table today?" Hinata asked, frowning at his bad habit. At least Naruto closed his mouth when he chewed (most of the times).

"I wanted to sit next to my girlfriend," he replied. If I had been sipping my water, I probably would have spit it out. Instead, there was an uncomfortable silence. Naruto broke it.

"Well, buddy, she's not at this table," he said.

"Sakura's my girlfriend," Gaara said. Since when did _one _date signify that I was his girlfriend? It was just one date!

"Gaara...uh...I'm _not_ your girlfriend," I said, stressing on the word not. And maybe Hinata's right that I'm too nice because I felt sad for him. "I'm sorry if I made you think that I was, but I don't see you in that way. You're a great guy and I'm sure there are a lot of girls out there who are-."

"You can stop talking now, Sakura," he said. He didn't seem to be upset...he kind of looked mad. "I thought you liked me, but obviously I was wrong. And that's okay because I can easily find another girl who does like me." Then he got up, grabbed his tray, and stormed off to sit next to his jock friends.

"What a jerk!" Hinata said.

"Hinata, cover your ears because I'm about to say some words that weren't meant to be in the bible," Naruto said. Hinata awkwardly placed her hands on her ears as Naruto swore like a pirate, maybe even worse. My cheeks blushed as I heard his colorful language. Once he was done, he removed Hinata's hands from her ears.

"Sakura, you can do waaay better than Gaara. He may be my friend, but he can be a jerk as well," Naruto said.

"It's fine. Gaara was a jerk, but I shouldn't have lead him on," I said. "I just didn't think he's say I was his girlfriend. That took me by surprise."

"Soo...," Hinata said.

"Boys are stupid," I said. But men, real men like Mr. Uchiha, are intellectual and so much more mature.

--

It's Thursday, one of the most uninteresting days of the week. No, scratch that. _The _most uninteresting day of the week. Seriously, why do we even have a Thursday? Hmmm...?

English class ends and everyone leaves. Naruto is absent. I decide to talk to Mr. Uchiha. "Hi," I said, at least two feet between us. Space, maybe that's what he needs. Maybe I've been standing too close to his personal bubble and he's been feeling uncomfortable.

"Hi," he said, putting the chalk eraser down to face me from cleaning the board. Okay, so he's at ease now. And so am I. "I can tell you didn't like today's reading," he said.

"Shakespeare's language is confusing," I admit. "If I don't understand something right away, I get so frustrated."

"With yourself?"

"Well, yeah," I said. "Being smart is like the only thing I'm known for, so I have to be good at being smart. It's stupid, I know."

"You like to draw," Mr. Uchiha pointed out. I just stared at him. "You think I didn't notcie? I see you always drawing in your notebook."

"Hehe," I said, embarrassed a bit. "I'm no Picasso, but I have talent. Would you like to see some of my sketches?" Oh yeah, I'm definitely not holding back.

"Sure, but not now Ms.Tardy. I don't want you to be late for your next class," he said, a smile tugging at he corners of his mouth. Already there were a few people shuffling into his room for their class.

"Ok," I said, waving goodbye. My mind was floating in a thick cloud that no on could penetrate through. I was in a long daze for the rest of the day, imagining the possibilities of him and I. We would sleep and wake up in each other's arms, knowing what we had took away the pain of lonliness. My sense of touch failed me. Everything felt so cold to me and only being in Mr. Uchiha's embrace could warm me up.

Damn, what is he doing to me? He's not even here and yet his prescence is with me. I've escaped and gone to a place where he and I are a reality.

I didn't even notice Hinata was talking to me until she waved a hand in front of my face. That snapped me back to Earth. "Huh?" I said unintelligentally. I was so out of it.

"Sakura? You back yet?" Hinata asked, giggling to herself.

"Yeah, I'm back," I answered. "So what were you saying?"

"Do you want to come to Naruto's house with me? I'm going to bring him hpt soup and juice. You can bring the crackers," she said. "Poor Naruto. He hates being sick."

"He hates anything that forces him to stay put in bed," I said. "He's probably squirming right now, but his mom won't let him get up."

"I can see it now," Hinata said, picturing it. She closed her locker and grabbed her school bag from the floor. "So, be there by five, k?"

"Yeah," I said.

"Don't forget the crackers."

"I won't. See ya later."

"You too. Bye!" Then she left in the direction of the parking lot. I took out my sketchbook from my locker and headed towards Mr. Uchiha's classroom. I skimmed through the pages as I walked. They were mostly full of scenery from where I traveled; important buildings, historical sites, beaches, etc. There were people too (mostly the contours of their figure) and a few animals on some pages. Hopefully he would be impressed with all this.

His door was slighly open, like is he was expecting me. At least it wasn't closed. I walked in, totally forgetting to knock. I catch Mr. Uchiha totally off-guard; he's sitting on his chair, his feet propped on top of his deck and he's reading a horror book by the look of the cover. He sees me enter and immediately composed himself. His feet are on the ground now.

"Sorry, I should have knocked first," I said, my sketchbook clutched tightly against my chest.

"No need to apologize. I was wrapped up in the book and you kind of frightened me a bit," he said, brushing a hand through his dark hair. I noticed how the lights reflected off it.

"What's the book about?" I asked.

"Blood-sucking vampires," he said in his best Dracula voice. I laughed. He's too adorable. "You weren't suppose to laugh. I was trying to be scary. You should have wailed your head off and ran away in fear. " I just laughed even more.

"You would make a very bad vampire," I said when I was done laughing.

"No shit," he said. Did Mr. Uchiha just say _shit?_

"Well, here's the sketchbook I wanted you to see," I said, handing it to him. He opened it up and observed each page. He paced around his classroom quietly. He flipped another page. I bit my bottom lip nervously, waiting for his remark. Good? Bad? _Horrible?_

"These are really good," Mr. Uchiha said, still looking at my book. "I'm super impressed. I had no idea you could draw like this. They almost look professional. You have a good eye for detail, it's incredible."

"Thank you," I said, smiling brightly.

"Have you been to these places?" he asked, looking up at me now.

"Yes. All of them. My dad and I like to travel a lot," I replied.

"What about your mom?" he asked.

"She's...She can't travel," I lied.

"Oh," he said, not asking any more questions.

I thought I was able to tell him about my mom, but I just realized how hard it actually is. You have to be able to trust someone completely to tell them something that big, and I hardly know anything about Mr. Uchiha. I don't even know how old he is.

"These drawings are beautiful," he said, closing my sketchbook.

"I'm glad you like them," I said as he returned my book to me.

"You should submit some of your drawings to an art contest. What are you going to major in college?" he asked.

"Pre-med," I answered. "I want to become a doctor and find cures for different kinds of cancers."

"A doctor, really?" He sounded surprised.

"Yeah," I said. "I'm actually really interested in medicine and the human anotomy. Plus, I get a great kick out of helping people."

"And to think I'm teaching a future Nobel Peace winner," Mr. Uchiha said, smiling. I smiled as well, although I don't know about _that _really happening. It'd be cool if I did win. "Wow, medical school. That's eight years of studying, you know?"

"Yeah." I nodded my head. "But it'll be worth it." I don't want any other girl or boy to lose a parent to cancer. I must've looked sad because Mr. Uchiha looked concerned.

"Sakura, is there something wrong?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"No, I'm fine," I said. "I just want to tell you something. I was thinking...maybe we could get a cup of coffee or something and just talk, about anything."

"Sakura...I'd love to. It's just-." He stopped. His eyes are suddenly sad. Has something happened? Is it something I've done? No. It's something he wants to do. I can see it. Something he wants to do so badly, it's eating him up inside. But he's holding back. He's resisting from taking that step and climbing. And I need to let him know that I'm here to help him climb. He has to feel it. Has to see that I'm ready; I'm mature enough, smart enough. I need to give him a sign, something to let him know.

"It's alright," I said, smiling. "Whatever you want to do, it's okay with me." If you need time, I'll give it to you. I'll give you all the time in the world.

"Yeah. Sure. It's just- I don't know," Mr. Uchiha said. "Maybe we could do that sometime. Thanks for asking."

"You're welcome," I said politely. "I should probably get going. I have to go visit Naruto. He's sick, so, my friends and I have like this tradition of bringing the sick person soup and crackers to make them feel better."

"And what are you bringing?"

"The crackers. Hinata, she's in one of your other classes, is bringing the juice and soup."

"Naruto's a lucky guy to have friends like you two."

"Well, he sure makes our lives much more interesting."

--

I'm obsessing. I'm like a fever; contagious. I think too much, or maybe not enough. Is my brain even functioning right? I don't know. I don't know anything anymore. But I could have sworn I caught a glimpse of Mr. Uchiha in the other aisle.

"Sakura, what else is on the list?" my dad asked, pushing the cart. It's Sunday and we're out grocery shopping. With his glasses on, dad looks much older.

_Maybe it was just a figment of my imagination._

"Milk. The fat-free kind," I read from the paper I have in my hands. He pushed the cart along, careful not to get in the way of other shoppers. If I haven't mentioned it before, my dad is a tall man. He towers over people. His height is one of the few genes I inherited from him. I'm a staggering 5"9.

My dad was going to turn a corner when he bumped into someone. Our cart hit the other person's cart in a loud bang. My dad almost fell backwards from the impact.

"I'm sorry," a familiar voice said. Mr. Uchiha! So I wasn't imagining him.

"No, no, my apologies," my dad said. My heartbeat sped up. I never thought what would happen when my dad and Mr. Uchiha would meet each other. And why am I trying to hide behind my dad? I'm sure Mr. Uchiha already saw me, so wha-

"Sakura? What are you doing back there? I thought I saw pink hair," Mr. Uchiha said.

"You two know each other?" dad asked, slightly confused.

"Yeah, he's my English teacher," I managed to say.

"Sasuke Uchiha. It's a pleasure to meet you sir," he said, shaking hands with my father.

"Takashi Haruno," dad said. "Well, it's a small world indeed. I just find it amazing when I bump into people that I haven't seen in a while of haven't seen at all, but heard of. In this case, I quite literally _bumped _into you."

Oh God! Make this end! This is horrible! Why does my dad have to be so damn embarrassing? And why did I choose today to wear shorts? I don't care what people say, I hate my legs.

"Uchiha...hmm...you know, that name sounds familiar," my dad said, pondering. I chose that time to sneak a peek into Sasuke's cart. He had eggs, bread, a liter of Coca-Cola, cheese, barbeque chips, and (oddly) tomatoes. Lots of tomatoes.

"I don't know why, it's not a common name," Mr. Uchiha said, paling. He fidgeted with his hands, stuffing them in his pockets in the end.

"Are you okay?" I asked, worried. "Mr. Uchiha?"

"Yes. I'm okay," he said. "It's a bit stuffy in here, that's all.

"That's what I told Sakura. They should really turn the AC up," dad said. I think he likes Mr. Uchiha, or at least finds him agreeable. Maybe this is good.

"Excuse me, " an old lady said to my dad. He was blocking her way to get to the aisle. My dad quickly moved, standing almost side by side to Mr. Uchiha. Seeing them that close together, I noticed that Mr. Uchiha was about two inches shorter than my dad, making him at least 6"1.

I should stop thinking about height, but anything that concerns Mr. Uchiha interests me. Like the fact that he's wearing a very form-fitting t-shirt that showcases his amazing biceps and lean waist. It should be a crime for English teachers to be that hot. Look what they do to girls like me. I've basically lost my sanity and rationality.

"Are you shopping alone?" I asked. See? No rationality at all.

"Yes. I seem to be doing things alone quite often, don't I?" Mr. Uchiha said with a small smirk. Then he addressed my father. "Mr. Haruno, I'm sorry to say that I'm a dull person. I can never understand why someone like Sakura would find my class interesting. She's a great student, though. Very focused."

I hate this. He's acting like a teacher. Reality check: he is.

"Well, she's always been focused. Personally, I think it's a gift. Not that many people her age are as focused as she is," dad said. '_Hello!' _I feel like screaming. I'm right here. Stop talking about me like I'm not here!

"Ummm...," I said. They both looked at me. "Can we not talk about me...in front of me?" My cheeks are burning. I don't like being the center of someone's conversation. And although I am a focused person, I don't like the focus to actually be on me. Blending in, I'm good at doing that.

"Sure, sweetie. We didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable," dad said.

"I still have some more shopping to do, but it was nice meeting you," Mr. Uchiha said, shaking hands with my dad again. "Goodbye Sakura. I'll see you tomorrow." He shook my hand and I desperately hoped he wouldn't let go. But he did. And he left. I could still feel the warmth of his touch on my palm and that was enough.

"What a nice man," dad said, pushing our cart along. We still had to get the milk. "He's very polite and he seems smart. Charming too. I can see why you enjoy his class."

"Dad," I said. Something has been bugging me. "Why does his last name sound so familiar to you?"

"I don't know. I think I've heard it before, but I can't remember where," he said. Then he shrugged. "But let's not worry about that right now."

I can't wait for tomorrow.

--

"Good morning class. I assume you all had wonderful weekends," Mr. Uchiha said on Monday. People mumbled their _yeah's _and _no's, _having side conversations with their friends.

"Sakura, my weekend was just plain bad. You know why?" Naruto said.

"Let me guess...you were sick," I said. "Duh! I knew that. I visited you, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but that's not it. I got-."

"Ahem, ahem," Mr. Uchiha said, bringing our attention back to him. "Lately, we've been neglecting our grammer. So, turn to page 56 and do exercises two and three."

While we worked, we socialized. "Naruto, you got what?" I asked.

"Grounded," he answered.

"For what?"

"Well, I sorta borrowed 50 from my dad for gas," Naruto said.

"Sorta borrowed? Wait...you stole 50 from your dad?" I said.

"I didn't steal it! I just borrowed it without asking him," he said as I rolled my eyes.

"You deserve to be grounded," I said. "But, I thought you had money for gas?"

"I did. But I wasted it all-."

"-on a videogame," I finished for him. "Typical."

"Wrong. I wasted it on a date with Hinata," Naruto said.

"Oh," I said, feeling stupid. Of course. A date. I wonder how great a date would be if I went out with a guy I _actually _like. Too bad hot English teachers are off-limits. Speaking of...

Mr. Uchiha looks especially good-looking today. Hmm...something's different about him, a good different. He got a haircut. It's a bit shorter than before, but still considerably long. And...he's staring at me. Well, not anymore. He looked away at the last second. But I caught him. I caught him staring at me. Does he find me attractive? What does that even mean from a guy like him? He's my teacher, but he's rapidly becoming something more to me than just a teacher. A friend and possibly...a lover?

During the rest of the class, I stole glances at him, trying to catch his gaze again. My eyes followed everything he did like it was an important moment in time. The bell rang and I didn't even notice until I heard the zippings of backpacks. I started to pack up as well, deciding I'd go straight to my next class and not stay to talk to Mr. Uchiha. There'd be enough time for that later. I had it all planned out. Just now, in class, my confidence boosted up. Now all I had to do was wait.

Classes draggen on forever, or so it seemed. To me, at least. My heart was beating fast because I was nervous...and anxious. This was **it. **All I had to do was knock on his door (like right now) and jump into his arms, all the while telling him how I feel. Then...well, I don't know what he'll say.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

This stupid door is like a barrier. I have to go through it, but not if'it's closed. He has to open it.

I gulped, my hand ready to knock on the wooden door. Before I could, Mr.Uchiha opened it, obviously leaving.

"Hello Sakura," he said with a small smile. He wasn't so surprised to see me because I think he knew. He's not dumb.

"Hello," I said. "Can we talk...in there?" I asked, pointing inside to his empty classroom. He looked back and then at me again.

"Sure," he said, motioning with his hand for me to come in. I entered. I stared up into his dark, onyx eyes and did the only thing I longed to do for so long. Without hesitation I kissed him. I kissed my teacher, Mr. Uchiha.

--End of Chapter Four--

**A/N: Yeah, so it's not much of a cliffy, but it is suspenseful. You'll have to wait for the next chapter (and who knows how long that could take) to find out what happens. **

** XOXO- Gossip Girl (JK!) Wits and the Ditz**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hola everybody! Sorry for not updating in, like, forever. School has pretty much taken over our lives, but...summer vaycay is in less than two weeks! Although there are finals that we need to get through. ARGH!! High school sucks sometimes. Anyways, here's chapter cinco. (that's spanish for five if you didn't know). :)**

**Previously on ****Teaching Me****-**

_I gulped, my hand ready to knock on the wooden door. Before I could, Mr.Uchiha opened it, obviously leaving. _

_"Hello Sakura," he said with a small smile. He wasn't so surprised to see me because I think he knew. He's not dumb._

_"Hello," I said. "Can we talk...in there?" I asked, pointing inside to his empty classroom. He looked back and then at me again. _

_"Sure," he said, motioning with his hand for me to come in. I entered. I stared up into his dark, onyx eyes and did the only thing I longed to do for so long. Without hesitation I kissed him. I kissed my teacher, Mr. Uchiha. _

**Chapter Five**

There was so much sin in this kiss. I knew it. He knew it. Yet none of us tried to stop. Instead, I held on to him even more tightly, my hands shaking around his neck. I love how he tastes, and his lips are so soft and tender. They're burning onto mine.

I felt his strong hands on my arms as he slowly pushed me away. "We shouldn't be doing this Sakura," he said.

"I know. But we just did, didn't we?" I said, smiling lightly. "And you kissed me back."

"I...I shouldn't have," was all he said, running a hand (a hand that a second ago was on my waist, pulling me closer) through his spiky hair.

"Why?" I asked. "I like you and you obviously like me."

He sighed. "I'm your teacher. You - you're my student for god's sake."

I touched the side of his face. He tensed. "Sasuke...," I said, saying his name aloud for the first time. His cheeks felt prickly where he had stubble.

"What did you just call me?" he said quietly.

"Sasuke," I said. "You don't know how long I've been waiting to call you that. Can I say it again?" He nodded. "Sasuke," I said in what I thought was a sexy voice. It came out kinda deep though. I leaned in to kiss him again, but he moved his head away. I frowned.

"Sakura, please, I can't be doing this," Sasuke pleaded.

"You're scared, but it's okay because I'm scared too," I said. "I'm so happy though. I'm bursting inside. My heart is pounding so loud I'm surprised you can't hear it." I was talking a mile a minute. I couldn't contain myself. "I just want to be with you and...do you want to be with me?"

He looked down at his feet and whispered so softly, "Yes, I do. Very much."

"Then why are you pushing me away?" I asked, knitting my brows together.

"Because it's the right thing to do," Sasuke said. That was not the answer I wanted to hear.

"Can't you forget about what's the right thing to do and just do what _you _want to do?"

"That would sure make things a lot easier," he said. "And Sakura, you're definitely not making this easy for me."

Hearing it from him made it so surprising to me. I was attracting too much of his attention. Was he thinking of me when I was thinking of him? At the same exact time? Did he dream of me at night? "Well, how do you think I feel?" I replied. "I came here because for the first time, I feel comfortable just being me. You make me feel okay about myself and I like that. Do you even know how invisible I felt? Then you came and you noticed me. Hell, you talked to me like an equal. I still feel invisible, but with you, it's like you listen to what I have to say. You make me feel important and...special."

"I make you feel all that, huh?" Sasuke said.

"Well, yeah," I said, looking into his eyes. Underneath all that beautiful darkness, I could see a flicker of adoration. He was struggling to keep up his mask; any minute now it will fall down. He'll give in to his emotions and ignore logic.

"Why do you have to be so persistant?" he said.

"Because I like you a lot and I don't want to lose something that I know can be great."

"You're serious about this. Hn...I think I always knew this moment would come, ever since I met you. Even then I was attracted to you. You were uniquely beautiful. I told myself to stop falling for you, but I couldn't. Then you kept talking to me and...I enjoyed our conversations very much."

I was blushing. He thinks I'm beautiful? A compliment coming out of his mouth felt amazing to hear.

"Slowly, I started to anticipate our little talks. I tried to ignore the voice in my head that told me what I was doing was wrong. Somedays it was insufferable. I was battling with myself," Sasuke said, taking a pause. "For once I'm going to do what I want to do, although this could cost me my job. I don't want you to have a bad impression of me. I've never done anything like this before."

"Neither have I," I said. He smiled.

"Good. I'm glad to hear that," he said, brushing strands of hair off my forehead. "You're just so different Sakura."

"Hm?"

"I've never met a girl like you before who's been so focused and smart. Sometimes I have to remind myself you're only seventeen," Sasuke said.

And...um...how old are you?" I asked.

"Twenty-five," he said.

I did the math in my head. Eight. He's only eight years older than me. My dad was only four years older than my mom when they got married.

"Does it bother you?" he said.

"Actually, no, it doesn't," I answered.

"Sakura, you do understand we have to keep us a secret," Sasuke said all of a sudden. "We just can't go out in public places. It'd be too risky. So think twice about it, do you want to do this?"

I didn't need to think about it. I knew. "Yes, absolutely," I said, smiling. I was ecstatic. This was finally happening! "I want to do this so much." Sasuke smiled before kissing me on the cheek. I think he was still a little hesitant.

"Can I...?" he said. I nodded my head as, this time, we shared a gentle kiss. His lips were electrifying me to my very core. My body felt like it was a single nerve with no end. The kiss lasted only a few minutes, but it seemed like hours. I was on cloud nine. No, cloud ten, if such a thing even exists. "This is crazy," he whispered. "A good crazy, you know?"

"Yeah," I whispered back, loving the feel of his arms around me.

"I never meant to take things these far."

"You still meant to take them."

--

I found myself touching my lips that evening, knowing Sasuke had kissed them. It was all I could do to remind myself that what happened this afternoon in his classroom was real. This wasn't some daydream that I configured in my head.

My fingertips briefly brushed along my lips, but my dad noticed. And he thought my behavior was weird. "Uh, Sakura, is there something you want to tell me?" he asked, putting down his knife. We were eating steak.

"No. Why do you ask?" I said, trying not to be nervous. Rarely do I ever keep something this BIG from my dad. He's one of my confidants and I sometimes go to him for advice.

"Well, sweetie, you're behaving quite odd tonight. Is there something wrong with your lips? You keep touching them. Are they swollen?" dad said.

"No, they're not swollen," I answered.

"They don't look chapped either."

I was trying to think of a reason for my strange behavior. "You know, it's this new lipbalm I've been using. It makes my lips super soft and, well, I just can't stop feeling them," I said, smiling.

"Oh. Well, that's good," he said, cutting into his steak again. Juices seeped out of the meat as he did so.

"How was work?" I said, changing subjects.

"Hectic as ever. But on the bright side, my case is almost over," dad replied. I nodded, letting him know I was listening.

After dinner, I reclined to my room. I laid down on my bed, sighing loudly in content. I must be the happiest girl in the world. And nothing no one says can take my happiness away.

I grabbed my pillow and hugged it, pretending it was Sasuke. It was so soft in my arms. "Oh Sasuke...," I murmured, burying my face into it. I could detect the slight scent of him on my shirt where he held me. I let go of my pillow and sat up. I wanted to wow him tomorrow.

I ransacked through my closet and picked out a denim skirt I hardly even wear and a nice forget-me-not blue blouse. I would partner that with my black flats. Perfect. Now all I need is make-up.

I walked over to my vanity table and sat down, starting to apply make-up on my face, just to see how I would look for tomorrow. I was coating my lids with a dark blue eyeshadow when my dad entered my room, checking up on me.

"How are yo- Sakura! What did you do to yourself?" he said, his hand still clutching the doorknob.

"What?" I said, turning my head around to face him. "You don't like the way I did my make-up?"

"It's just that...I'm not a make-up expert, but...don't you think you put on a bit too much?" dad said, struggling to find his words.

I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My face was caked with foundation, my eyeliner made me look trampy, the blue eyeshadow was too overpowering, and my red lipstick was so not my shade. It gave my skin a washed-out hue. I gasped. I looked horrible! What was I thinking? I grabbed a handful of tissues as I wiped my face.

"Why do I even bother?" I said as I fought back tears. I'm a girl (practically a young woman) and I can't even put on make-up.

"Don't cry Sakura," dad said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"I know looks aren't everything, but...," I said, tears falling down. Damn. "...I at least want to look nice." For Sasuke.

"But you already look nice. Why don't you take all that glob off your face and see for yourself. Eh?" dad said encouragingly. I nodded my head and wiped away my make-up and tears. When I was done, my dad smiled. "See? There's my pretty little girl again."

"I'm not a little girl anymore dad," I said.

"I guess you're right," he said. "You're blossoming into a beautiful young lady. And me- I'm getting older." There was a tint of sadness in his voice. "It's times like these that I wish you had a woman in your life. To show you how to do your make-up and talk to you about girl stuff."

"Like the monthly visit from Aunt Dot," I added, remembering the awkward and embarrassing talk my dad gave me when I was twelve. I already knew about it, but at the time, I still hadn't gotten my period.

"Dad, don't beat yourself up about it. I think you did a great job raising me," I said, standing up from the chair I was sitting on.

"It's just...I feel like I failed you somehow," he said.

"No," I shook my head," you haven't. You've given me everything I've ever wanted and you try so hard to be a good dad and mom for me." Then I hugged him and started to cry because as much as I love him, I miss my mom.

--

This is pure torture, and I love it. Sasuke is being so sneaky. Right now he's stealing glances at me during class. No one is noticing this, thank god.

I want so badly to feel his lips on mine again. I think I'm addicted to him now. Just one taste, and I already want more. I want him.

I looked up and caught his eye. I gave him a small smile, then looked away. It's like a small game we have- who can sneak a glance at the other person in the shortest time? These things have to be quick because it can't be obvious to anyone else. So far I'm winning. And I think I know what my prize is...

As Sasuke was talking, he walked in and out of the rows of desks, explaining the debates we were going to have in about two weeks. When he neared my desk, he descreetly dropped a folded note on my notebook. I quickly grabbed it and placed it on my lap, opening it.

_Sakura,_

_Wait for me in your car afterschool. I'll go to you when it's safe._

I folded the note back and put it in my skirt's pocket. Already I feel excited. My skin was tingling in anticipation.

--

Lunch was a daze. I tried to follow Hinata and Naruto's conversation, but my head wasn't in it. I couldn't stop thinking about Sasuke. I guess I've become one of those love sick girls that I've read in magazines.

"...pick out a dog. I want a small one, though," Hinata said.

"Yeah. Sure, we can go tomorrow or something," Naruto said. "What are you going to name it?"

"Well...I'm not sure. What do you think Sakura?" Hinata asked me.

I turned to look at her. "Yes?"

She sighed. "Were you even listening?"

"No. Sorry," I said.

"Well, what do you think I should name my dog?" Hinata said.

I had no idea she was even thinking about getting a dog. When did this happen? Damn, I should really not space off like that. "Umm...I don't know. But I've always liked the name Chester for a dog," I replied.

"Chester? Hmm...I guess that's a good name," Hinata said. She hates it. She's just being polite. I don't mind though. I feel bad for totally zoning out on her like that. And this isn't the first time it's happened.

"You know what's a good name for a dog?" Naruto said. "Kiba."

"Naruto! That wasn't nice," Hinata said as I tried to supress my giggles.

"What? I'm just telling the truth," he said.

Hinata wagged a plastic fork at him as she said," Kiba's a cool guy. I don't know why you dislike him so much."

Naruto looked offended. "I don't dislike him. I just dislike the fact that he's trying to get with you. Me and Kiba, we were actually good buddies. Until he started to have a crush on you."

"What?! You guys aren't talking to each other because of me? That's stupid," Hinata said.

"How is that stupid?" Naruto asked. By this time, I knew it was best not to get involved. Although they were making it hard for me to eat my lunch in peace.

"It just is," Hinata said.

"Why do you want a dog anyway?" Naruto said. "Is it because you want to go dogwalking with Kiba and his dog. Is that it?"

"Naruto, what are you talking about? Stop being so paranoid."

"I'm not paranoid!"

"Right now you are."

"Sakura, tell her I'm not being paranoid," Naruto said.

"...uh...," I said.

"Sakura, tell him he's being jealous," Hinata said.

"..." Not getting involved. Not getting involved.

"I'm your _boyfriend._ I'm supposed to be jealous," he said.

"Yeah, I get that. But you're not supposed to be so paranoid. So what if Kiba likes me? I love you, and isn't being your girlfriend proof enough?" Hinata said, blushing by now. I nudged Naruto with my elbow, letting him know he had to say an apology. Without me, he'd be clueless sometimes.

"Hinata, look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted. And I trust Kiba, kinda. He's not the type of guy that steals other guy's girlfriends. At least, I don't think he is," he said, pondering a bit on that. Hinata and I laughed.

"Naruto, it's okay. Don't burst your brains thinking too hard about it," I said, my laughter subsiding.

"What?" Naruto said, then..."Hey!"

--

BBRRRIIIIINNNGGG!!

Music to my ears. Who knew the sound of the bell could create such excitement in me? School is finally over.

I walked over to the parking lot and got into my car. At first, I just sat there, watching students drive home. But then that got kinda tiresome so I turned on my radio. After about twenty minutes later (I was worried, thinking he'd forgotten) I heard a knock on my window. It was Sasuke. His car was parked beside mine. I rolled my window down, smiling at him.

"Sorry for taking so long," he said. The parking lot was empty, so we were safe.

"It's okay," I answered, turning off the radio.

"I didn't know you liked country," Sasuke said, raising an eyebrow.

"Nickelback isn't country," I said. He nodded his head. "So, where are we going?"

Sasuke smiled."It's a surprise. Just follow me, but try to keep a few cars between us."

"Okay," I said. He walked over to his car, got in, and drove. I dutifully followed him, wondering where he was going to take me. I mean, where could we go? There'd be a chance someone from school would see us. Unless we went to the next town or something.

After twenty minutes of driving, I finally saw where we were heading. Sasuke turned left onto a dirt road and beyond that was a field of tulips- pink, yellow, and purple ones. I let my mouth hang open; it was so beautiful.

Sasuke parked his car and got out, a smile on his face. "So, what do you think? Do you like it?"

"Yeah," I said, unbuckling my seatbelt and getting out of my car. "This place is so lovely. How'd you find it?"

"My mother took me here when I was a kid. Sometimes Itachi, my brother, would tag along as well. We would spend hours playing here. It used to be a park some thirty or forty years ago, but they demolished it and built a new one somewhere else. Now this place is forgotten," he said, looking at the lost beauty of the field. I stood next to him and tried to picture him as a little boy. I couldn't.

"Sakura," he said, turning to me. "How do you feel about a picnic?"

"Right now? Sure," I replied, slightly taken aback. "Wait, did you make the food?"

"No," Sasuke said.

"Oh. Good. At least I know it's not poisoned," I said. He smirked.

"I don't know why every woman assumes that men can't cook," he said. I smiled. He was probably a bad cook.

Sasuke went to his car and took out a picnic blanket and some containers, and two water bottles. He handed me the blanket and told me to pick a nice spot. I chose a spot surrounded by yellow tulips, then he set up the food. I watched him as he served me potato salad, little hand sandwiches, fruit salad, and...tomato slices. He was being a gentleman, but...

"Wow, you're like obsessed with tomatoes," I said. He laughed- God, how I love his laugh.

"So you've noticed," Sasuke said. "Yeah, I have a weird fetish for tomatoes." He patted to the ground next to him. "Why don't you sit down?"

"...umm...," I said, aware that I was wearing a skirt. I sat down oddly, my legs beneath me, almost like I was kneeling in prayer. I grabbed a plate and started to eat one of the sandwiches. It occurred to me that Sasuke and I were on a date, kinda.

"Tell me something about you. Something that no one knows about," Sasuke said, looking at me.

"Well...I have a tattoo of a butterfly on my lower back. My dad would freak out if he saw it," I said. "How about you?"

"Hmm...in the 7th grade I got suspended for smoking," he said. My eyes bugged out of my head. "I was a wild teenager, trying to rebel against my parents."

"Why?" I asked. I inched closer towards him, but my shoulder bumped into his. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he said. "Why did I rebel? I guess it was beacuse my parents expected so much from me and I didn't want to live in my brother's shadow. I shouldn't have gone about it that way, but at the time it felt like the right thing to do."

"But I thought you and your brother were cool?" I said.

"We were. There was some sibling jealousy, but we got along fine. I just wanted my own identity."

"And I thought I was bad, getting one lousy tattoo," I said, taking a sip from my water bottle.

Five minutes later, when we were done eating, we walked around. He held my hand and told me some of his childhood stories. Me- I was happy to just be with him.

"Oh, look, there's a ladybug on your shirt," I said, using my finger to take it off (I didn't want to kill it). It flew away and then I noticed how close I was to Sasuke. He noticed too, because he started to lean his face toward mine. I slowly closed my eyes as I felt his lips on mine. My hands crawled from his chest to his shoulders, pulling him closer. He had his hands on my back, his fingertips slowly digging into me.

Sasuke bit my lower lip and I knew he was asking for entrance. I opened my mouth and felt his tongue enter. It felt soft and wet against mine; it felt amazing. His tongue explored the inside of my mouth, caressing it. I let out a small moan and I could feel Sasuke pulling me closer towards him.

We stopped for oxygen. Our breathing was hitched and my lips tingled from the heat of his kiss. We looked at each other, not saying anything. Sasuke still held me closley and I could feel his heart beating against mine. "Can you feel it?" I asked him, referring to my heartbeat. He nodded his head.

I smiled. "Years from now I want to remember this moment," I whispered into the crook of his neck. I breathed him in. He smelled like the forest.

"Sakura...," Sasuke said after a while. I looked up at him. "It's time to go. The sun's almost going to set. I wish we could stay longer, but..." He gave me one last kiss.

"Oh Sasuke, do we have to leave right now?" I said, not wanting to let go of him just yet. He sighed.

"Please be reasonable. We need to be careful about this...about us," Sasuke said.

"But no one suspects a thing," I said.

"I know. And I want to keep it that way," he said, touching my cheek. "We have to keep our meetings short."

"Meetings?" I said, frowning at his poor word choice.

"Would you be happier if I said dates?" he said. Again, that wonderful smirk.

"Yes," I said coyly,"but I would be _much_ happier if you gave me one more kiss."

This kiss was different. More urgent. More passionate. I wrapped my arms around his neck and welcomed his tongue into my mouth. Sasuke's hands were on my waist and, my god, does he know how to kiss! And it dawned on me that this was the closest I've been near a guy- we were practically glued to each other!

_Hm, this feels good._

_I feel safe...I feel warm. _

_...his lips...are so soft.._

My thoughts were incomplete and irrational. This kiss was consuming me. All I cared about wa-

_...sweet..._

_I never noticed...how sweet he tastes...he tastes...good...he tastes so good..._

Sasuke slowly pulled away regretfully, but he had to. Besides, I hadn't called my dad to let him know where I was. And dinner! Where was my mind today? I completely forgot to make dinner. Shit.

"I-I have to go. My dad's probably worried," I said, running a hand through my hair. "I had a great time though. Bye." Then I gave Sasuke a peck on the cheek as I dashed to my car. I turned on the ignition and as I drove away, I turned my head around and saw Sasuke waving. I waved back.

--

"Dad, I'm home!" I called out as I entered the house.

"Sakura?" he said, coming down the stairs. "There you are. I was so worried, and you didn't pick up your phone." Of course not. I turned it off so nothing could interrupt Sasuke and I.

"Sorry about that. I was with Hinata and Naruto at the arcade and...well, I guess we lost track of time," I lied. I hate lying. Especially to my dad. I don't know how I managed to pull it off, though.

"Okay, but call next time," dad said, ruffling my hair a bit. "I made spaghetti, if you want some."

"Um...no thanks. I think I'll pass on that," I said, knowing how bad my dad's culinary skills were. "I'll just eat cereal or something."

"Okay. (yawn) Well, I'm going to bed. I've been so tired today," he said. "Good night."

" 'Night," I said, making my way to the kitchen. Once I got there, I let out a big sigh of relief. And when that moment passed, I smiled. Today was perfect.

--End of Chapter Five--

**A/N: Well, there you have it. Next time, we'll try to update more constantly. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! And we could probably go on for a few hundred lines, but that would waste so much time. Anyway, we are so sorry for taking FOREVER to update this story. Instead of giving excuses, we're just going to move on into the chapter. Here it is!**

**Previously on ****Teaching Me****-**

_"Okay, but call next time," dad said, ruffling my hair a bit. "I made spaghetti, if you want some."_

_"Um...no thanks. I think I'll pass on that," I said, knowing how bad my dad's culinary skills were. "I'll just eat cereal or something."_

_"Okay. (yawn) Well, I'm going to bed. I've been so tired today," he said. "Goodnight."_

_" 'Night," I said, making my way to the kitchen. Once I got there, I let out a big sigh of relief. And when that moment passed, I smiled. Today was perfect._

**Chapter Six**

One month later...

"Sakura, table six needs to be cleared off," Tenten said as she placed two blueberry muffins on separate plates.

"I'm on it," I said, grabbing a blue rag from one of the hooks on the wall. I have to say that Saturday is our busiest day here at the cafe. I barely have time to talk to Tenten like I usually do.

I walked over to table six and noticed how messy the people left it. I sighed as I stacked the cups and plates and put any used napkins on top of the dirty plates. I used my rag to clean the surface of the table until it was shiny enough so I could see my beautiful (not) reflection.

"Tenten, when's our next break?" I asked as I put the plates in the dishwasher.

"Not until another twenty minutes," she replied, adding ice into a glass for an iced coffee.

"That sucks," I said. "Oh, great. Customers," I said sarcastically, walking towards them. Let me just say that those twenty minutes took forever to finally come. Tenten and I went out to the back where we hang out during our break time.

"Girl, I'm so pooped out. I hardly had any time to sleep last night," Tenten said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Well, my friends took me out to this club. It was fun, but we didn't leave until three in the morning. Then Mr. Takahiro called me at eight, reminding me to get to work in twenty minutes or I was going to get fired."

"Is that why you came so late?" I said. Tenten nodded her head. "No wonder you look so tired."

"Yeah...well, we work at a cafe so I have all the coffee I need to stay awake," she said. Then we both laughed. "Christmas is around the corner. Where are you and your dad going this time?" Tenten asked.

"Sicily. We already have the tickets and stuff," I said.

"Ooo. Are you going to meet any cute Sicilian boys?" Tenten said with a smile. No, I'm not going to meet any cute Sicilian boys. I don't even want to, Tenten. You want to know why? Well, I can't tell you.

"I hope so," I lied. The lies were becoming more easier to say now. Although the feeling of guilt was still there.

"Hey, don't they have any nude beaches there?" Tenten asked.

"Umm...I don't know. Why?" I asked, making a mental note to myself to check all the beaches online. No way am I ever going to swim at a nude beach.

"Just wondering," Tenten saud, shrugging her shoulders.

"How are you going to spend your Christmas?" I asked, changing the subject.

"With my family, as usual," Tenten said, trying to stifle a yawn. "We gather around the Christmas tree and sing Christmas carols. Totallu bogus, but, I don't know, it's a happy time. I get to see my brothers and sisters."

"That sounds cool," I said, wishing I had a big family like Tenten's.

"Tenten! Sakura! Where are you guys?" We both groaned. It was Mr. Takahiro.

"Back here!" Tenten yelled.

"Waht are you doing here? I need you up front. That coffee can't serve itself, you know," Mr. Takahiro said, pushing his glasses further up on his nose. How thick are they anyway? Three inches? Four?

"But Mr. Takahiro, we're on our break," I said.

"I don't care. I've got customers waiting to be served and Lee and Kuri can't handle the cafe by themselves," he said.

"But-."

"I'll pay you two extra, just go in there and make me happy," Mr. Takahiro said.

Tenten and I looked at each other and said in unison,"Okay."

"So, do you really think he's going to pay us extra?" Tenten asked twelve minutes later.

"He better," I replied, walking with a mug in each hand. "Here you go," I said with a smile to the lovely couple.

"Thanks," the woman said. Then I left because it was so busy. Sometimes I wonder what it is about this job that I love. A couple of minutes later, I realized what is was. Sasuke had just walked in, and he gave me a subtle wink before he sat down. I pretended not to notice him since Tenten was right beside me.

"It seems like your teacher, Mr. Uchiha, sure loves to drink his coffee. He's been here almost every day for the past two weeks," Tenten said. "Aren't you going to take his order?"

"Huh?" I said.

"Well, _you _usually take his order. He comes in, not even in his seat yet, and you're already at his table with a pen in hand. It's quite funny actually," she said.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about. I'm just doing my job. And if you'll excuse me, I _will _take Mr. Uchiha's order," I said with all the dignity I could muster. Tenten just laughed with an amused smile on her face. Shit. I've got to be more careful around Tenten; she might suspect something. Probably not. It might be paranoia. Still, I've been careless.

"Hey Mr. Uchiha," I said when I reached his table. I only call him that in particular, but when it's just the two of us alone, I call him Sasuke. "Don't look now, but I'm probably sure that Tenten is watching us."

"Do you mean spying?" he said, raising a delicate eyebrow. "Why, yes, she has her binoculars out. They're ginormous." He smirked.

"Are you making fun of me?" I said, trying not to smile.

"I would never make fun of you," Sasuke said, managing to keep a straight face.

"I think you just did," I said, clicking my pen. "Anyway, I have to look like I'm doing my job instead of talking to _boring_ English teachers."

"Fine. I'll have a black coffee and a muffin," he said as I wrote it down. It was unneccessary though because he always ordered the same thing. It was good to know that some things never change.

"Ok. I'll be back in a sec," I said, walking back to the counter. Tenten wasn't there; she was busy serving customers. "Here you go," I said to Sasuke as I placed a mug and a muffin on his table. "Are you reading again?"

"Yes. It's a letter that Itachi sent me," he said, showing me three pages full of writing.

"Umm...that's a letter?" I said. "But it's so long." Sasuke chuckled at my astonishment.

"Itachi always writes rather long letters. This one is quite short in comparison to others. But they're interesting enough. Do you want to know what he wrote?" Sasuke asked me.

"I don't think now is the best time," I said, seeing new customers arrive. "Maybe later."

"Sure. We'll jus-."

"Sorry, but I really have to go," I said. "Hello! What can I get you?" I said to the college-aged girls who were (from what I could tell) previously jogging beforehand.

"That hottie over there," the brunette said, pointing to Sasuke. Her friend just laughed, a little too embarrassed.

"You'll have to excuse her, she's a bit boy crazy," the blonde said.

"Oh no, it's okay," I said through gritted teeth. It's definitely not okay.

"Umm...we'll just have two fat-free frapiccinos," the blonde said while her friend was trying to make eye-contact with Sasuke. She was failing miserably.

"Your order will be ready in five minutes," I said. The quicker they have their coffee, the sooner they'll leave.

"Hey Sakura," Lee said, biting into a slice of lemon pie.

"Hey Lee," I said, preparing the frapiccinos. "Busy day, huh?"

"Yeah. I've gotten lots of tips though," he said.

"Me too. Where's Tenten? I don't see her," I asked.

"She's in the bathroom. She's trying to catch a few z's," Lee said.

"On a toilet seat?" I said, thinking how uncomfortable that would be.

"I don't know, nor do I want to," he said, finishing his slice. I nodded my head in agreement.

The frapiccinos were ready and I served them to the two girls. "Enjoy," I said with extra politeness.

"Argh, what is wrong with him? He's not even looking at me," the brunette said, taking her cup. "He's just reading that stupid letter."

"Calm down, he's probably taken," her friend said. Oh, how right you are.

"Whatever. Hey, should I buy that new dress I saw..." I left, not interested anymore in what she had to say. I went to the ladies' room, where I saw Tenten splashing some water on her face.

"Tenten?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh, hi Sakura," she said, using her apron to wipe her face. "Did Lee tell you where I was?"

"Yeah. Why don't you go home if you're so tired?"

"No way. It's super busy right now and I don't want to-"

"It's okay. Just go home and get some sleep," I said, cutting her off.

"Are you kiddding me? Mr. Takahiro would flip out. Just give me a cup of coffee and I'll be wide awake," she said.

"You sure?"

"Yeah. C'mon." We left the bathroom together and got back to work. A few minutes later I went to Sasuke's table with his check.

"Sakure, when do you get off today?" he asked, fishing some money out of his wallet.

"Umm...at three," I said. That was still four hours away.

"You think you can meet me at our secret place?" Sasuke whispered. He meant the tulip field.

"Uh-huh," I said, as he handed me his money and a two-dollar tip. Then he stood up. "Bye," I said.

"Bye," he said.

--

When I got there, Sasuke was leaning back on a tree. He looked so peaceful (and really handsome as well). I just watched him for a moment, admiring him. "Can I draw you someday?" I asked suddenly, impulsively.

"Well, I don't know if I'll be a good model, but, yes, you could draw me," Sasuke said, extending his hand for me to take. I took it and allowed him to walk me towards a nice spot where we sat down cross-legged. We contemplated in silence, until I decided to break it.

"I'm going to be away for a couple of weeks," I said, plucking a few strands of grass from the ground. I looked up to meet Sasuke's gaze. His expression was unreadable. "Uh...well, I'll be in Sicily during the Christmas Break."

"Sakura," he said slowly, "do you expect me to be upset by this?"

"...um...aren't you?" I said.

"Christmas is a time to spend with family. It's completely understandable that you would have plan to go somewhere," Sasuke said.

"Oh," I said, a little disappointed. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't that. I thought maybe he'd be a bit less unfeeling. No, what I wanted him to do was say that he'd wanted to spen Christmas with me, although that would have been impossible.

"But I will miss youu," Sasuke said, stroking my hand with his thumb. I smiled at that. "Eh?"

"What?"

"Aren't you going to miss me?"

"Of course," I replied. "And I promise to send postcards, although let me warn you that they have a tendency to be long."

"That reminds me," Sasuke said, taking three folded sheets of paper out of his pocket. "I wanted to show you Itachi's letter. It's quite interesting. Hopefully it doesn't bore you to death, since you get bored so easily."

"I do not," I said in defense. He handed me the letter to read aloud. "_Sasuke-_ what, no dear in front of it?"

"Continue," he said. "Itachi doesn't like formalities."

"_I was pleased to receive your letter, little brother, although there's something that troubles me. You say you're happy teaching at that school of yours, but I don't believe you that much. I've never understood why you pursued your career as a teacher when you could've chosen a career in a law firm or business management, but you have your reasons. Sora and I both worry about you. _Wait, who's Sora?" I said.

"His fiance," Sasuke answered. "She's an aspiring model."

"Ok. Now, where was I?" I said. "_Are you making enough money to suit your lifestyle? That house you bought is awfully small and Sora wants to know what you're going to do when you meet a nice girl and want to settle down with her. Personally, I'd worry about that later. No offense, but you're very unsociable and that frightens the girls away." _I stopped reading and looked at Sasuke. "Well, you didn't frighten me away. How'd you manage to do that?"

"I don't know," he said. "I was hoping you'd tell me."

"I guess because, secretly, you had wanted me...I mean. you had wanted to be with me." I was blushing scarlet after I said this. I'm so pathetic sometimes. "And... uh...you intrigued me. It was a crazy realization, but I kinda liked it. Do I make sense to you?"

He looked at me for the longest time and I gulped down saliva. Gross, but whatever. Why wasn't he saying something? Then, he fianlly spoke. "Sakura, you're right. About me, I mean. I did want to be with you, and the scary part is that somehow you knew. I didn't have to tell you, you just _knew._" His gaze didn't falter as he said this. "You make perfect sense to me, okay? I don't want you to feel insecure or unconfident around me. I'm not going to judge you."

I smiled. This is what I like about him so much. He makes me feel comfortable in my own skin and I know he'll accept me as I am. How can someone make me feels so good about myself?

"Okay," I said, leaning towards him for a kiss. The letter laid on the ground, forgotten, as I crawled on top of Sasuke's body, my arms supporting my weight. We kept on kissing. Sasuke's fingers were tracing the long curve of my spine. My knee brushed against something and when I heard Sasuke groan, I blushed, knowing _exactly _what it was. We resurfaced for oxygen a few minutes later. I abruptly got off him, still very red in the face.

Ohmigod! I've never done anything like that before. Ever. I'm still surprised I even got the courage to get on top of him like that. But it just felt so right.

Inside, I'm still a naive, unexperienced girl who doesn't want to make a fool out of herself. Was Sasuke turned off by that? Who wouldn't. I have zero sex appeal. And I'm probably a bad kisser, but Sasuke's too polite to say something.

"Sasuke...be honest, am I a good kisser?" I asked, then instantly regretted it. I should just shut up. Someone give me a muzzle. They look uncomfortable, but at least I know I won't embarrass myself.

I felt Sasuke's hand on my chin, slowly lifting my head so I could meet his dark eyes. "You're a wonderful kisser," he said. Then he kissed me. We were still lip-locking when we were interrupted by my phone ringing.

"Oh shit, I forgot to turn it off," I said, answering it. "Hello?" Hopefully my voice didn't sound as nervous as I felt.

"Hey Sakura." It was Hinata. "I just wanted to know if you weren't busy, we could go watch a movie together."

"Umm...yeah. Sure," I said.

"Great. Lately, I feel like we haven't spent a lot of time together.You're always so busy," Hinata said.

"Yeah, well, I'm a busy, busy bee," I said with a forced laugh. Sasuke was waiting patiently for me to end my conversation. He looked sort of amused.

"So, where are you at? I'll come and pick you up," she said.

"No!" I said quickly. "I mean, no, I'll just meet you there."

"You sure?"

"Uh-huh. I'll even buy the popcorn this time," I offered.

"Alright. See you there."

"You too. Bye." I hung up.

"I guess that means you have to go," Sasuke said.

"I'm sorry, but...I promise I'll make it up to you," I said. "Maybe after the movie is over we can-"

"No, it's okay. Have fun," he said, giving me a smile. It was infectious. I smiled back.

"Okay," I said. We both stood up and before we parted ways, I gave him a kiss goodbye on the cheek.

--

The next day I woke up early for a Sunday. I sat up and stretched, a yawn escaping my mouth. I looked at my bedside table and noticed a brochure for the new art exhibit in Nagoya that's opening today. I almost forgot about it.

Will Sasuke want to come with me?

I grabbed my cellphone and dialed Sasuke's home phone number. I practically have it memorized from using it so many times. He picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hello?" Sasuke answered groggily. His voice sounded even more huskier like that.

"Did I wake you up?" I said, a little apologetic. I totally forgot that most people are still asleep at this time. Hell, my own dad is still snoring in his bedroom.

"No," he siad. Then I heard a big yawn. I laughed to myself.

"Sorry. I just wanted to hear your voice, that's all," I said. Does he sleep shirtless? He probably does. He probably also has a great body and even though he is my teacher, this thought doesn't gross me out. He's just one of those people that you know looks good naked. So how did I end up with a guy like him? I'm not much to look at.

"..." Silence on the other line. Which could only mean one thing.

"Are you asleep?" I asked.

"...hn...no," Sasuke said.

"Liar. Anyway, come with me to the new art exhibit. Please? It's in Nagoya, so no one will see us."

"Alright. Just tell me what time and I'll be there," he said, sounding more awake.

"Really? You're the best! It's at noon. Oh, and meet me by the entrance," I said excitedly. Our first official date.

"Okay. So how did it go last night?" he asked.

"The movie was awesome. I just wish you could've been there with me," I said. "There was this one scary scene in particular that made me want to bury my head in someone's shoulder and close my eyes." I sighed.

"Sakura, you know why I couldn't go with you," Sasuke said, a little sadly.

"Yeah, I know. It's just...it kinda threw me off a bit. I was watching it and I kept thinking _'Sasuke would definitely like this movie.'_ And you would. It had a lot of blood and violence in it. Guys like that stuff, don't they?" I said. I heard him chuckle on the other line.

"Yeah, guys like that stuff," he said. And then there was a yawn. "Sorry about that. I stayed up late reading a book."

"Oh, what's it about?" I asked.

"It's a mythical story about the three Legendary Sannin. Back when they still had ninjas," Sasuke said.

"You don't obviously believe in that, do you?" I asked.

"Who knows if they really did exist and if over time, people have fabricated the truth," he replied.

"Hm...I guess you're right, as usual," I said, smiling to myself. Honestly, I love the fact that he's smart. It kind of turns me on in a weird way. Not that I'll ever admit that to him. "Well, I'll just hang up now so you can go back to sleep," I said.

"..."

"Sasuke?"

"...zzz..."

"I can't believe you actu-"

"Relax Sakura, I was just kidding," Sasuke said, sounding amused.

"Oh. So, you don't really snore, do you?" I asked.

"Does it matter?" he asked.

"Uh...," I said, realizing what I had just implied. Who cares if he snores? It's not like we're ever going to...It'd be great, if we decided to, but...damn, how much fo I feel for him?

"If it's that important to you, then the answer is no, I don't snore," Sasuke said after a while.

"Uh-huh...well, bye. I'll see you later then," I said.

"Bye," he said.

I closed my cellphone shut and hid my face under my pillow, groaning into it. Has this whole thing between us really gotten this far? Am I really that much into him? Do I love him already? I always though these sort of things took time, but...I guess not. It just _happens. _You wake up one day and start thinking of him, like he's your whole life. And in a way, he is. We're both risking so much just to be with each other. And it's all worth it.

I took the pillow off my face and sat up. I wrapped my arms around my knees and looked at the intricate pattern of my bedsheets. I don't feel any different, but something has changed within me. Something _big. _I'm in love with Sasuke Uchiha. And I don't know what to do. Do I blurt it out and announce it to him? Or do I just let things continue as they are?

I wish my mom was here. She would know what to do. She was always good at giving advice- it could've been her profession. What would shey say to me now? Oh right- she'd be furious that I'm in a secret relationship with my teacher. I know even that is obvious. I should just get up and make breakfast. Maybe cooking (and the fresh smell of coffee) will clear my head.

Half an hour later, I had made a dozen pancakes, cooked scrambled eggs and sausages. My dad shuffled into the kitchen still wearing his robe and slippers as I squeezed fresh orange juice. He came to stand beside me and kissed my forehead.

"Need help?" dad asked, already pouring himself a cup of coffee into his favorite mug.

"Nah, I'm good," I said. Dad sat down and read the Sunday paper. Sunday is the only day he actually has time to read the newpaper, so he's usually quiet. I placed a plate in front of him and loaded it with everything. He said thanks and went back to the paper. I sat down next to him and ate my breakfast.

"So...I'm going to the new art exhibit that opened in Nagoya, okay?" I asked. Dad nodded his head, awknoledging his consent. "Cool. I'll be leaving at around eleven. The town is like 45 minutes away." He flipped a page.

"Are you giong alone?" he asked.

"Yeah. Both Naruto and Hinata are super busy today," I lied. "Is that a problem?"

"No, I was just asking since you always seem to go out with them," dad replied. Or so he thinks. All those times I left to go meet Sasuke, I said I was hanging out with Hinata and Naruto. I never noticed I've been leaving so much.

"Oh, well, it'll just be me this time. I don't mind, really. I just want to see the art and they'll be lots of people there, so I won't actually be alone," I said, chewing on my syrapy pancakes.

After breakfast ended, I went back to my room, took a shower, and decided on the perfect outfit. I chose casual jeans, a nice looking white sweater, and my uggs. I didn't even want to bother with my hair, so I left it straight down. I looked at my clock and saw that it was 10:08. Great. I have about an hour to kill.

I walked to my bookshelf and picked Pride & Prejudice, one of my favorites. I was so engrossed into the story that I forgot what time it was. I checked my clock and gasped when it said 11:21. I quickly grabbed my purse and keys and darted to the garage. I got into my car and quickly drove. Luck was on my side today because every traffic light I passed was green. So I arrived at the art museum at 12:04. Sasuke wasn't there yet.

I sat down at the steps in front of the entrance, patiently waiting. I looked up when I saw a shadow over me. Sasuke. I smiled and got up. "You made it!" I said happily, giving him a hug. His body vibrated with laughter.

"I thought you'd be mad at me for being late," Sasuke said. I shook my head.

"C'mon, let's go inside," I said excitedly, bouncing on the heels of my feet. "In the brochures it said the museum has over 200 paintings and sculptures. One of the sculptures is made out of 950 pieces of chewing gum. It's supposed to look like someone's face."

"You're really excited about this aren't you?" Sasuke said as we walked through the doors. I instantly felt the blast of cool air from the AC.

"Just a little bit," I said casually. "I'm glad you're here with me and that's what really matters." I reached for Sasuke's hand, but he hesitated. "Sasuke, it's okay. No one here knows who we are. They're not going to say anything about us," I said.

"Sorry, it's just become a form of habit. I'm still too precautious," he said.

"Will you at least hold my hand?" I asked. "Please?" I held my left hand out to him, waiting for him to take it. "Please?" I said again. He looked at me and finally held my hand, giving me a small smile. And so we strolled down the hall, looking like any other couple.

"Wow," I said, impressed by the first painting I saw. It was a brain, but there were some holes in it. Inside those holes, were little pictures of two people arguing, a dismembered puppy, and a young boy on his deathbed.

Sasuke stared at it too and slowly nodded his head. "The artist is trying to prove a point here. People try to forget the bad things that happened in their life," he said.

"Erase them from their memories," I quietly whispered, remembering how I felt when I saw my mom at the hospital so many times. I could never get those images out of my head, no matter how hard I tried. "Umm...let's move on," I said, pulling him with me. He gave me a curious look, but didn't say anything.

We continued walking, stopping every now and then to admire some of the more interesting paintings. Sasuke liked the abstract ones, trying to find hidden meaning in them. Some of his guesses were deep, others were just plain silly. I liked the portraits of unknown, unfamous people, mostly because I draw people too.

"Sasuke, look! There- the gum sculpture!" I said when we finally got to it. He smirked at me, inwardly pleased with my child-like enthusiasm. He should see me at the art supply store.

"It's bigger that what I thought it was," Sasuke said, looking at the head made out of different colored gum. "Hey, do you think people go up to it and steal a wad of gum?" he asked. I laughed, and he gently ruffled my hair.

"Sasuke, don't. Now I have to fix it," I said, smoothing down some strands of my hair. "Ugh...how do I look?" I asked.

"Beautiful," he said, looking at me. I blushed and slightly ducked my head down to hide it. Sasuke put his arm around my shoulders as we kept on walking. "You know..," he said after a short while," there's nothing to be embarrassed about being called beautiful. It's a compliment."

"I know that. It's just...I'm not used to being called beautiful. It feels awkward," I said. I wanted to steer the conversation away from me.

"You shouldn't feel that way Sakura. If you could see outside yourself, you would agree with me," Sasuke said. Easy for you to say, you're gorgeous.

I noticed Sasuke was staring at me with a strange, bemused look on his face. I didn't get it until it clicked to me. "Oh my god, did I just say that out loud?" I said, horrified. He wasn't suppose to know that. "Uh, forget about it, okay? Pretend I never said anything."

"Okay," Sasuke said, smirking at me. Dammit.

At a quarter to two, we decided to go eat at a seafood restaurant for lunch. We were both starving. It felt nice, for a change. We had never eaten together in public and I was grateful for all the unfamiliar faces surrounding us. No one was here to judge. Sasuke and I were just strangers to them, out on a date.

Sasuke took a sip of his coke and I watched him, happy and content. He held up a piece of raw shrimp towards me with his chopsticks and I leaned in to bite it. He smiled at me, a gentle look in his eyes. I could just get lost in their depthness. How cliche does that sound?

"What are you thinking about?" Sasuke asked me suddenly. You, I wanted to say. But I didn't want to sound like any other girl who's realized that they're in love with the most wonderful guy. Especially when the guy being mentioned is your teacher and the chances of this crazy (but blissful) relationship to further develop are slim. But I never said I was a realist.

"Sakura?" Sasuke said, furrowing his eyebrows. He was probably confused why I wasn't saying anything.

"I was just thinking...," I said, placing my finger on his forehead where his eyebrows met to smooth the skin there,"...that today has been extremely wonderful. And I've been selfish to have spent almost the whole afternoon with you."

"I'm the selfish one,"Sasuke said. "Here I am, eating lunch with a beautiful woman-"(Here I blushed because he called me beautiful again...and he called me a _woman. _Not a girl, but a _woman_. Wow)-"while I'm forgetting about all my duties." I blushed even more. Obviously, I'm more important than his duties. Sasuke just implied it, without meaning to. He's still holding back a bit; he doesn't want to reveal something. And I've been wondering if there's some big secret he's trying to keep away from me.

"To hell with duties. Right?" I said, trying to keep the conversation light. I drank my soda; my mouth had suddenly become dry.

"Right. But I can't completelyl forget about the most important one," he said pensively.

"And which one would that be?" I asked.

He let out a sigh that seemed to come from deep in his chest, almost like he was in pain. "Sometimes it's easy to just be careless and not think about consequences, but I have to. Constantly." It seemed like he was talking about something else, something that happened in his past. "I'm suppose to be the responsible one, the one to say no. But I can't. Not when I'm with you," Sasuke said, holding my hand from across the table. The gesture was really sweet.

"It's hard to be careful all the time," he continued one. "As the adult-"

"I'm not a kid," I cutted in.

He smiled. "I know you're not. You're very mature for your age. But as the adult, I'll be losing more than just my job. I'll be seen as a felon."

"Are you...having second thoughts about us?" I asked, focusing on keeping my voice even. Now was not the time to start crying. How immature would that look?

"No, no," Sasuke said, startled. "And I'm not trying to scare you or freak you out. I'm just...I just want you to know how hard this is for me. But it's a decision I chose and I'm willing to face the consequences." He gently squeezed my hand. It slightly reassured me. This whole talk about consequences and felonies made me remember how very forbidden this is. I've been too caught up on how wonderful Sasuke makes me feel- another thing that I love about him.

After we finished eating, we went to a park near a duck pond. I brought my sketchbook with me and sat down on the grass. "Sasuke, you can sit over there and please don't try to move a lot," I said, opening my sketchbook to a fresh page. He sat down across from me and leaned back on his elbows, his long legs stretched out in front of him.

"Is this a good pose?" he asked, uncertain.

"Perfect," I said, watching how the sun hit his glorious face and seemed to bathe him in an angelic light. I quicly drew the outline of his body before focusing on all the minute details. My pencil flew across the page, my eyes drifting to his face every now and then before going back to my page. I was deep in concentration and barely registed how silent we both were. I looked up and caught his gaze. I smiled briefly and went back to drawing. "Sorry. I know it must suck to stay still for so long. You want a minute to stretch?" I asked.

"No. I want you to finish. You really enjoy drawing, don't you?" Sasuke asked. I nodded my head, drawing his eyes. I was frustrated that I couldn't get them just right.

Minutes passed. Then I was done. I let out a sigh of relief and accomplishment. "Do you want to see it?" I asked, showing it to him. Sasuke grabbed my sketchbook and looked at the drawing. He smiled at it.

"Amazing," he said,"it looks just like me. Sakura, you're even more talented than I thought. Just looking at you draw is extraordinary. You seem to be in your own little world, but you still pay attention to your surroundings."

"Thanks," I said, feeling overwhelmingly pleased with myself. "I'm glad you like it. You want to get an ice-cream cone? I saw a guy passing by with his cart."

"Sure," he said, getting up. He pulled me up and held my hand as we walked to the small ice-cream cart. Little kids were in line, pushing each other to get their ice-cream first. I snorted. They reminded me of Naruto.

"I'll be the gentleman and pay," Sasuke said when it was our turn. Before I could protest (earlier at the restaurant we both paid for our own meals) Sasuke handed the ice-cream guy two dollars. "Two chocolate scoops and...Sakura, what would you like?" he said.

"Um...strawberry," I replied.

"Okay. And two strawberry scoops on the other one," Sasuke told the man. He handed us our cones and walked away, pushing along his cart.

"That was unneccessary. I could've pain for myself," I said.

"Sakura, don't be silly. I wanted to anyways," Sasuke said, which meant _'let's not talk about this anymore.'_

We strolled around the pond's edge, watching the ducks float on the surface. A few were swimming. Everything was so peaceful and I relaxed into Sasuke's arms as he wrapped them around my shoulder. I wanted to hold him too but my hands were occupied with my cone and sketchbook.

By five, the sun was already starting to set and I realized that was our cue to leave. Just how long had we spent the day here? I shifted in Sasuke's arms and he looked down at me, a bit alarmed at my need to untangle myself from him. He understood all too soon and beat me to the kiss. I gripped his shoulders tightly and squeezed myself closer to fit into the mold of his body. I felt his hands on my back like a scorching burn that seemed to consume me. That penetrating burn reached my tongue and heightened my sense of taste. Sasuke was so sweet and alluring. His own tongue was burning mine as well. I felt too, too hot. I thought I was going to explode when suddenly he broke off.

I caught my breath as new oxygen filled my lungs. I looked at him with a longing I've never felt before, only dreamt about. But Sasuke was all too real...and untouchable at the same time. We couldn't possibly ever be more than this. The best I can hope for is more secret kisses and hugs. Nothing more.

"Wouldn't it be great if everyday could be like this?" I said, picking a strand of my pink hair off his sweater. There was no such thing as personal space between us now.

"Yes," Sasuke breathed.

I closed my eyes, then opened them. "We should go. My dad's probably wondering what took me so long. If he only knew..."I said, staring at Sasuke. God, I love him so much and it's not fair that he can't be part of my normal life. If only things were different.

"If he knew, he'd probably kill me," Sasuke said. I shuddered thinking about it. "Or he'd make sure to take me down in court. He is a lawyer after all."

"Stop. That's enough...I don't want to hear it," I said.

"I'm sorry," he said, enveloping me in his arms once more. I wished the moment would last, but it didn't. "Here. You dropped your book," Sasuke said, picking up my sketchbook from the ground.

"Right," I said, grabbing it. "I always hate having to say goodbye, especially like this. Today, I get to call you Sasuke, but tomorrow you're Mr. Uchiha."

"And what's so bad about Mr. Uchiha, eh? I heard he's a cool teacher and all his students love him," Sasuke said. Oh, how right you are.

"Shakespeare's right. Parting is such sweet sorrow," I said with a sigh. "I know we have to leave, but I don't want to. I'd rather be with you than go back home and face reality. When you and I are together, it seems like we live in our own world, where nothing bad can happen to us."

Sasuke was about to say something, but I cut him off with a kiss. We didn't need words to comfort ourselves. All we needed was each other.

--

The days dragged on pleasantly. The more and more time I spent with Sasuke, the more I fell in love with him. I began to appreciate the simplest things about him and even learned to cope with his weird habits. I was completely devoted to loving him, and he didn't even know. I hadn't said anything about my feelings; not wanting to freak him out. It was too soon. But my happiness was obvious. Even my friends were aware of a certain change in me.

"Hey Sakura, are you on a diet? You haven't touched your food at all," Hinata said during lunch. I looked down at my tray, wondering what half of the food was. I don't even remember grabbing a corndog. Weird. I don't even like corndogs that much.

"Oh, I'm not that hungry," I replied. How could I explain to Hinata that I didn't need food to sustain myself? All I needed was Sasuke and his gentle touches. He made me full in so many ways.

"Well, in that case, let me have your mac n' cheese," Naruto said. I slid my lunch tray over to him.

"Naruto! No, Sakura needs to eat. Don't take her food," Hinata said.

"It's okay. I'm not that hungry," I said.

"But Sakura, you have to eat. I won't feel better unless you do," Hinata said, concerned. I grabbed an apple from my tray and bit into it, chewing.

"Happy?" I said.

"A little," she said. I continued chewing. The apple was delicious, though.

"So, Sakura, what have you been up to? I feel like we haven't hanged out in days. Have you been busy with a guy?" Naruto said, wagging his eyebrows knowingly at me. Hinata stared at him, then slapped her hand on her forehead.

"Uh..what makes you say that?" I said, feigning confusement.

"Oh, c'mon! You've been walking on clouds and all that shit. Obviously, it's because of some guy. So, who is it? Do I know him?" Naruto said.

"It's none of our business. If she doesn't want to tell us, then she doesn't need to," Hinata said. Then she looked at me with wide, curious eyes. "So who is it?"

I couldn't help it. I blushed. Then I racked my brain for a good excuse, but I couldn't think of one. Naruto had been tlo straightforward and caught me off guard. SO I only had one option left- deny everything.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but there is no guy," I lied. I wonder how many times I've lied in rhe past month? Too many to count.

Hinata did look disappointed. "Are you sure?" she asked.

Naruto on the other hand, didn't believe me. "You're lying, and I want to know why."

Shit. Shit. A million times shit. What do I say now? "It's complicated," I said, stalling for extra time to think. Then an idea formed in my head. "You see, my dad's been working on this case and his defendant has been coming over to our house to go over legal stuff. He's really young, though, maybe in his mid-twenties. He talks to me a lot and flirts too, but he probably doesn't mean anything by it."

"Wow," Hinata and Naruto said in unison. I tried to act shocked too.

"Sakura, this is huge! How come you didn't tell me? I can't believe it. How long have you liked him?" Hinata asked.

"Um...about a week," I said, making everything up as I went along.

"So, what are you going to do? Does your dad know?" Hinata said.

"No, he doesn't know. And...I'm not sure if the guy even likes me," I said.

"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it? He's a bit too old for you anyways," Naruto said, switching on his "brother" mode.

"He's not _that _old," I retaliated. I wish I could've come up with a better story. This one's too close to the truth. "Right Hinata?"

"Well...yeah, but, Sakura, don't you think there's something wrong?" Hinata said.

"Like what?" I said.

"I'm happy that you like this guy. I really am, but...looking at it from his perspective...," she said," he probably only wants one thing."

I stared at her, almost mad she'd even say something like that, but then I reminded myself this was some made-up guy we were talking about. Not Sasuke.

"Why can't someone his age actually like me?" I asked, wanting to get their view on the situation.

"Because men his age want experienced girls, and you're, well, inexperienced," Hinata said, a faint flush on her cheeks.

"Is that what you really think?" I said. "How about you Naruto?"

"I'm with Hinata on that one. Sak, what if this guy wants to take advantage of you? I'm not going to let that happen. I'll tell your dad if I have to," he said.

"No!" I said. "No, don't do that. The case will be over by next week anyway. And I'll never see him again."

"Good," Naruto said. "All's well that ends well."

"Yeah," I said absent-mindedly. My own friends don't understand. And I fear they never will.

--End of Chapter Six--

**A/N: REVIEW PLEASE!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Here's the 7th chapter, and let's just say that it's the most dramatic one, yet. Seriously. We thought this story was missing some drama and, as usual, we didn't know what to do, so we just brainstormed until ding a flashing light bulb appeared above our heads and an idea was born. (Hallelujah!) Yup. It's going to be totally unexpected. I don't think we even saw this ****coming. **

**We'd like to thank the following people for reviewing: Emo Alchemist, sasusaku779, sasusaku0129, Bunny-Chan The Kick-Ass Ninja, VivaDiva, Kirei na yukki, SasuSaku Forever and Ever, ChristinaAngel, the blanket, Riropin, Sailormoonloverlol, lalagirl555x, ShikaGirl1990, Akemi Akira, xkissxdeathxbrex, luna starz, mybloodyday, HoshikoK, HannahsaurusRexLovesKiba, and lumierediva**

**Previously on ****Teaching Me****-**

_I stared at her, almost mad she'd even say something like that, but then I reminded myself this was some made-up guy we were talking about. Not Sasuke._

_"Why can't someone his age actually like me?" I asked, wanting to get their view on the situation._

_"Because men his age want experienced girls, and you're, well, inexperienced," Hinata said, a faint flush on her cheeks. _

_"Is that what you really think?" I said. "How about you Naruto?"_

_"I'm with Hinata on that one. Sak, what if this guy wants to take advantage of you? I'm not going to let that happen. I'll tell your dad if I have to," he said. _

_"No!" I said. "No, don't do that. The case will be over by next week anyway. And I'll never see him again."_

_"Good," Naruto said. "All's well that ends well."_

_"Yeah," I said absent-mindedly. My own friends don't understand. And I fear they never will. _

**Chapter Seven**

Those two weeks during which I was separated from Sasuke were unbearable. Oh sure, I had an awesome time in Sicily, but there were times when I just wanted to run into the comfort of his arms. I missed him terribly. The e-mails we constantly sent each other were not enough. I wanted to be with him- in his embrace, smothering him with kisses.

I have it bad, don't I? Real bad. And I don't know how to escape from my longing for him; escape from my thoughts of him. I'm a fool, obsessed with my love for Sasuke. But I can't help it. I've never been in love before and (as cliché as it sounds) I love being in love. It's such a wonderful, overwhelming feeling.

On Christmas day, I woke up to a surprise. I heard a knock on the door and went to open it. There was a deliverer with a big bouquet of red roses in his hands. "Are you Sakura Haruno?" the man asked with a thick Sicilian accent.

"Yes," I replied as he handed me the beautiful bouquet.

"There's a note as well," he said, taking out a white envelope from his pocket. My name was written on the front of it in a familiar handwriting.

"Thank you," I said as I grabbed that too. "Can you wait here a moment?" The deliverer nodded his head. I walked to the small hotel kitchen and placed both the roses and envelope atop the counter and grabbed my purse that was lying there. I walked back to the door and gave the man a generous tip.

"Thank you," I said again with a smile. Then I closed the door. I ran to the kitchen counter and buried my face in the roses, taking in their fresh, lovely scent.

Then I grabbed the white envelope and quickly opened it, anxious to read its contents inside. My dad was still sleeping in his room, so I risked quietly reading it aloud to myself.

_Dear Sakura,_

_Merry Christmas, darling. I know I can't be with you right now, but I hope the roses make up for my absence. Do you like them? You mentioned once that red roses were your favorite. I wish I could see your smile when you finally receive them. That alone would be a satisfying gift for me- your beautiful and enchanting smile. I miss you more and more each passing day and, can you believe it, it's even started to snow here. Just a little, though. It's more like white, slippery mush than snow actually. _

_As I'm writing this, it's about ten at night and I'm sitting on my couch watching a Christmas special on TV. It's true, they really do make you feel better. And I hope this letter and the roses make your Christmas even better._

_Yours, Sasuke_

I held the letter to my heart and closed my eyes, picturing him in my mind. Yes, I could see him writing this, sitting on his couch wearing a dark t-shirt and old sweats.

I opened my eyes and placed the letter back in its envelope. I have to hide it somewhere so my dad will never be able to find it. And the roses- what do I say? I want to keep them in a vase full of water so they don't die. Do I lie and say I bought them myself? Or do I say it was a complimentary gift from the hotel? Why can't lying be easy?

"Sakura…there you are. Merry Christmas!" my dad said from behind me. I jumped, startled. I stuffed the envelope in my bra and turned around to face him.

"Merry Christmas to you too!" I said, giving him a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"How long have you been up?" he asked.

"Umm….for a few minutes now," I replied.

"You should've woken me up. Where did those roses come from?" dad asked, noticing them for the first time.

"From Hinata," I lied. She sent them here this morning. I told her where we were staying, so I'm sure she had this all planned out or something."

"Well, that's nice of her. They're exquisite flowers, too," dad said. "You should put them in a vase. You know how roses wilt easily. Your mother would always complain about that. One time, I just gave her a fake rose. She kept it after all these years- I know because I found it hidden in one of her drawers."

It was silent then.

"…..is it still there?" I asked.

"Yes. I never throw anything of hers away. You know that," he said. I nodded my head. Of course not, it'd be too painful to part away with memories. We still have her old clothes, for god's sake.

"I should go and put the roses in water," I said quietly.

"Yes," my dad said absent-minded, still stuck in his own private thoughts.

"I'll also make hot chocolate. It is Christmas after all," I said, trying to lighten the mood.

--

Classes have resumed and I'm back at school again. I'm excited. I'll be seeing Sasuke in a few minutes.

"Hey, Naruto, you don't think Mr. Uchiha's running a bit late, do you?" I asked him casually.

"Nah. I saw him in the copying room a few minutes before the bell rang. He's probably on his way right now. Why? Did wittle Sakura miss him?" Naruto teased. I rolled my eyes, trying to seem like I didn't care.

Just then, the door opened and all conversations ceased. Sasuke entered the room with a stack of papers in his hands and he greeted us with a warm smile. "Good morning class. I hope you all had a wonderful break and spent the holidays in a better place than I did," he said. Then he started talking about a homeless shelter that he visited on Christmas. He explained how he helped serve dinner to them and even donated money to the shelter place. The people there were grateful and although they had no homes, they were all well-received and had a nice bed to sleep on.

I was completely blown away by Sasuke's story. I had no idea that he deeply cared about helping the less fortunate. His account of that night made me feel selfish and unappreciative for not doing anything like that. I looked over at Naruto and noticed he was staring at a new watch on his wrist.

"It kinda makes you feel bad, huh?" he whispered to me. I looked at the new necklace I was wearing and nodded my head, agreeing with him.

"…which leads me to your first assignment of the semester," Sasuke said, passing out the papers to us. Since I was sitting in the front, our fingers brushed when he handed me the papers. I felt a jolt of electricity; ignited by two weeks without his touch. It was like feeling alive again. I looked up to see his face, but it was calm and collected. He has a good poker face.

"Hey. Pass the papers back," the girl behind me said. A bit rudely, may I add.

"Oh, sorry," I said, handing them to her.

"Okay," Sasuke said, trying to get our attention again. "As you can see, you each have a small packet in front of you that tells the story of a young boy's struggle of living in the streets. I want you all to read it silently to yourselves for about 20 minutes."

To be honest, I've never really stopped to wonder how other people live. I am aware of homeless people- I just never questioned myself of they way they live their lives. What do they suffer? How do they get by? That small packet answered all of these unasked questions. They do whatever it takes, basically.

After 20 minutes, we had a class discussion. Sasuke stood by his desk, silently hearing our opinions and comments. His gaze drifted off to mine and I could see a special twinkle in his eyes reserved only for me. I smiled dazedly, my mind dissecting every god-like feature of him.

The bell rang and I slowly packed my things in my bag, with every intention of being left alone with my teacher, if only for a few precious minutes. "Sasuke…" I said a little shyly. I didn't know if hugging him would be appropriate right now. "I missed you." Simple as that. We were in each other's arms in an instant. I felt at home. I breathed him in and smelled his cologne.

"Sakura," he murmured my name, stroking my hair with his gentle fingers. "See me after school," he whispered softly in my ear. I felt a shiver run through my body.

"Where?" I asked.

"Here."

"Here? Like _here _in your classroom?"

"Yes. I don't exactly feel like driving a half-hour just to see you when we can meet right here," he said.

"Won't anyone see us?" I asked.

"I'll keep the door locked. And the hallways are always empty after school. Everyone is either in the gym doing sports or in the library," Sasuke said.

"Okay," I said with a definite smile.

--

I knocked on his door, alone in the empty hallway. It took him only a few seconds to open it and greet me inside. I realized this was the same spot where I first kissed him, about two months ago.

"I've been thinking," I said, setting my bag atop a random desk.

"About what?" Sasuke asked, wrapping his arms around me from behind. I was glad he couldn't see the blush on my face. I wasn't expecting this much contact so soon. But Sasuke must've missed me just as much as I had.

"You're a really great guy, Sasuke. You're so selfless and noble. I really admire you for helping out those homeless people," I said. I felt him tense up behind me. I stroked his hands that were settled on my stomach, trying to loosen him up. "Sasuke?"

"Sakura, I appreciate the kind words you've said about me…but I don't think I deserve them," he answered into the crook of my neck.

"Why not?" I asked, confused. He sighed.

"Because I'm just a coward that's trying to fix what happened in the past," Sasuke said. "If anything, I did it all out of guilt."

"I don't think that's true," I said. "What happened?"

"I…I don't want to talk about it," was all he said. I turned around to face him and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Was it a bad thing?" I inquired.

"Sakura, I don't' want to talk about it," he said again, sounding frustrated.

"Someone's got a mean little tempter," I said, trying to lighten the odd tension between us. "Fine. We won't talk about it. We don't' even have to talk at all. We can just… we can just stay like this." Then we kissed. Passionately and wildly. We stumbled our way to Sasuke's desk and somehow I ended up on his lap, with him sitting on his computer chair. It was one of those "in the moment" sort of things.

It was a never-ending, hot and heavy make-out. Sasuke bathed me in plentiful, lavish kisses on my lips and neck as his hand rubbed my thigh. My fingers combed through his ebony locks, pulling and tugging them in every crazy direction. I wanted him to feel what I was feeling too.

After the strong, urgent sensations passed, we just sat there, belonging in each others gaze. I could see myself forever being with this man; cooking him meals, washing his clothes, waking and sleeping with him every single day. Oh, I love him so much. Why can't he feel it? I'm sure that I am exuding all the love my tiny heart can offer.

I felt Sasuke's fingers grazing my cheek. "You have very soft skin, just like a baby," he said. Then his fingers moved down to my mouth. "But your lips are so plump and supple, how a woman's should be."

I looked at him and _knew._This was it. This was the moment. Everything was so perfect. "I love you Sasuke Uchiha, more than any other person in this world. Even more than air and life itself and I want to spend the rest of my life with you," I declared to him, the biggest and happiest smile on my face.

Then I saw the look on Sasuke's face and it all came crashing down on me. I believe a small bit of me broke once I saw his reaction.

"Sakura…" he said slowly, choosing his words carefully. But it was all written so clearly on his face. Even his touch felt a bit colder, but I'm sure that was all in my head. "I-I don't know what to say."

"You should say you love me back," I said harshly. He stayed silent, which was even worse. "You do love me, don't you?" I asked desperately, losing hope.

"I can't love you. I just can't," Sasuke said, looking down. I was getting so tired of his vague answers.

"Then explain to me why you can't. You're the teacher, so _teach _me why you can't love me," I said, feeling the unwanted tears fall. I could taste the bitter saltiness in my throat, where my voice cracked. "How can you kiss me like that and just tell me that you _can't _love me? Why? Sasuke, why?"

"Sakura, please don't cry. It was never my intention to hurt you like this," Sasuke said, trying to place a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"_Don't touch me!_" I spat out, shrugging his hand away. I stood up from his lap and started pacing around the room. "Is it because I'm too young? Is that it? Am I not pretty enough? Smart enough? What is it about me that you _can't _love?" I asked, crossing my arms in front of my chest. The tears were still coming down.

"You're not the problem, Sakura. You…you're perfect. You've got everything great going for you- a loving family, college, amazing friends, art. And I don't want to be the one to bring you down with my mistakes. I don't want my stupid fuck-ups to be the reason why you'd hate me and not love me anymore," Sasuke said, standing a few feet away from me. "I wouldn't want to disappoint my parents anymore than I already have. To them, I'm the screwed-up son. And this, Sakura, what we have, as wonderful as it is, I know it's wrong. It never should've gotten this far, to the point where our hearts are now involved."

His words stung me. Didn't he take my feelings seriously? How can he just brush it off like that? "Sasuke, if you didn't want things to go this far, then why'd you lead me on like this? At least I was being honest with you, I _knew _what I was getting myself into, but you're still a mystery to me," I said.

"I've never lied to you, so please don't give me that honesty crap. Everything I've said to you was real. It was the truth," he said.

"So you think this was a mistake, then? Is that why you can't love me? Because you want to get rid of me and end all this, is that it? Well, don't worry, I'll make this so much easier for you. I'm leaving," I said, wiping my tears away.

"Sakura-," Sasuke said, but I cut him off.

"Please, just save it. You've done enough damage already," I said, grabbing my bag and heading towards the door. I forgot it was locked. Damn. Can't I ever have a dramatic exit? "Unlock this door," I said. He was right beside me.

"Sakura, I can't let you leave like this. I know you're not okay and-"

"Unlock this door now," I said forcefully. Sasuke looked at me with surprise and…hurt?

Anyway, he took out the keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. So this was it. It really was over. I opened the door and quickly left, not wanting him to see me crying again.

--

A broken heart shouldn't hurt this much. I feel like I've been kicked repeatedly in the stomach, and when I cry, it's more than just tears coming out. It's all the pain. I don't know how much more I can take before I truly crumble and break.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Sakura, are you feeling any better?" my dad asked.

When I came home yesterday, I immediately went to my room and cried into my pillow. Dad was concerned about me, so I said I was feeling under the weather. Judging from the way I looked, it was believable. Dad offered to cook me something to eat, but I declined. I wasn't feeling hungry.

So now I have to face Sasuke today. And I'm scared. I just want to stay in my room forever and not deal with the world anymore. The thought of just seeing him makes me want to burst out crying. How can I compose myself for an entire class period?

But…I just can't hide. It's better to be brave (or at least pretend to be) and face him as soon as possible. I shouldn't prolong it more than is necessary.

"Yeah. Thanks for asking. Uh…I think I'll go to school after all," I called out to my dad.

"Can I come in? I at least want to feel your temperature," he said.

"Sure," I said.

Dad entered my room and sat down on the edge of my bed. He placed a hand on my forehead. "Well…you feel normal. But, sweetie, are you sure nothing's wrong? I heard you crying last night and, look, your eyes are all red and swollen. Did something happen at school?"

"No, nothing happened," I lied. Geez. When am I ever going to have an honest conversation with my dad?

"Okay," he said, kissing my forehead and leaving the room to give me privacy.

Fifteen minutes later and I was already out of the house. When I arrive at school I spotted Hinata and Naruto in a semi-crowded hallway. "Hey guys," I said with a small smile, but it felt sort of forced and fake. "What's up?"

"Oh my god, Sakura, didn't you hear? There was a fight yesterday," Hinata said. My pulse sped up at the word 'fight.'

"It was between my homeboy Shikamaru and that weirdo Sai. You both should've seen it. There was blood everywhere. It got pretty intense," Naruto said. I relaxed.

"Naruto, stop exaggerating. I just saw Shikamaru and he seemed perfectly fine. Not a bruise on him," Hinata said. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"So, what were they fighting about?" I asked, feigning interest.

"Oh. It was just Ino they were fighting over. Pretty lame, if you ask me. But, anyway, there _would _have been blood everywhere if Mr. Uchiha hadn't come and stopped the fight," Naruto said.

"Mr. Uchiha was there?" I asked. "How was he? Uh…I mean, did he seem sad or anything? Angry, perhaps?" But I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have said anything at all.

Both Hinata and Naruto raised curious eyebrows at me. "Sad? I guess. He seemed a bit frustrated at seeing two of his students fight, though," Naruto replied. I knew where that frustration came from, and it had nothing to do with Sai and Shikamaru. He was probably still worked up over our argument. I don't blame him. We both said some unkind things to each other.

"Mr. Uchiha was cool about the whole thing. He gave all of us a lecture about violence and let them off the hook," Naruto continued on. "Now that I think about it, he seemed distracted."

Distracted? By me? I thought he was done with me. Didn't he make that clear yesterday?

Just then the bell rang. I looked away when Naruto gave Hinata her goodbye kiss. When he and I walked inside Sasuke's classroom, I surprised the both of us by sitting in the back.

"Um…Sakura, don't we usually sit in the front? What's next? Are we sitting in the middle tomorrow? Why the sudden change?" Naruto asked me?

Sasuke's back was to me, but because Naruto has such a loud voice (it carries across the room) he definitely heard him. I could tell he was waiting for my response by the slight inclination of his head in my direction.

"I got bored sitting in the front. And, beside, all the exciting stuff happens here in the back," I said. "Look, there's Sai now. He doesn't look too happy."

"When does he ever?" Naruto said. I was going to say that Sai is one of those naturally apathetic types of people, but Sasuke began his lesson. He looked displeased- but what did he expect? For things to go on like they were? No. I need to distance myself from him and not give in to my temptation of wanting to be with him again. This time, I'll truly fight hard in keeping my feelings hidden from him. I have to give him up. Even I know it's impossible. It's like asking me to give up water. How can I survive without it? I can't. As much as it breaks my heart, I just have to learn to live without Sasuke.

--

After school I went to work. It's weird how something can happen to you that changes everything, yet things still remain the same. That is how I felt when I entered the café and saw the familiar customers.

"Sakura! I missed you!" Tenten said, giving me a hug. "And would you look at that? You even got a tan! Hey, Lee, Sakura's back!"

"Wha-oh, hi Sakura!" Lee said, coming out from the back room.

"Hi," I said, putting on my white apron. "How are you guys?"

"Who cares about us and our boring lives? How was Sicily?" Tenten asked eagerly. Even Lee was eavesdropping.

"It was fun. I had a great time there," I said, not feeling all that talkative. My mind was somewhere else.

"Is something the matter?" Lee asked, his thick, bushy eyebrows furrowing together.

"N-No. I'm fine," I said, wondering why everyone was asking me that lately. "I should go…um…serve those people," I said, walking away.

As the minutes tick-tocked away, I strained to stay alert. It seemed that everything around me was more dull and uninteresting. Without something to fascinate me, it was much easier to lose focus.

I dropped a cup.

I yelped- surprise entering my senses. I immediately murmured an apology to the customer and scooped down to pick up the broken pieces. Tenten helped me. By then I couldn't control my tears and they came spilling out of me. Rapidly.

"Sakura, it's okay. We'll get a new cup. Don't cry, we can fix this," Tenten said soothingly.

"No, it's not okay," I croaked out. I was aware of people looking over at us. "I…I need to go to the bathroom," I said, standing up and leaving. Fortunately, all the stalls were empty. I risked looking in the mirror and regretted it. I saw all my disappointment and pain reflected back at me.

It's not fair. Why do I get to feel like crap? All I wanted was for Sasuke to love me back; to love me as fiercely as I love him. We should still be together- existing for each other's companionship.

Tenten abruptly came in, an unreadable expression on her face. "It's him, isn't it?" she asked solemnly.

She knows. She's probably known all along. There's no mistaking who she's referring to.

"You were right Tenten. Love isn't as great as it seems," I said.

Silence.

"How did you figure it out?" I asked, meeting her gaze.

"I've realized it for a while. At first, I had my suspicions, but I always nudged them off, thinking it was impossible. But then he'd always come here and I saw you talking together. His eyes said it all. Sakura, that man loves you," Tenten said.

"No he doesn't," I responded icily. "Sas- Mr. Uchiha ended it. He said h-he couldn't love me after I confessed to him my feelings."

"I don't believe that," she said, crossing her arms. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. He said it himself," I said, using paper towels from the dispenser to wipe my tears. "You don't find this odd?" I asked curiously.

"What? That we're having a heart-to-heart talk in the bathroom? No, not really," Tenten said. I smiled, despite my sour mood.

"No, I meant, aren't you _concerned _about me dating my teacher?" I asked. Well, not anymore.

"Sakura," Tenten said, rolling her eyes. "As impossible as it seemed, I knew it'd be the right thing for the both of you. Don't you see? He was a lonely guy- you said so yourself- and there you were, eager to fill in those empty spaces."

I processed her words and came to the same conclusion as her. Sasuke and I completed each other. And now, without him, I feel so lost and alone. And that's the worst kind of pain.

"Tenten, I don't want to lose him. As much as he's hurt me, I still love him. Please, help me, tell me what to do," I said, grabbing onto her shoulders. She looked taken aback.

"Umm…maybe you should give him space. Back off for a bit, you know?" Tenten said.

"That's what I've been doing. And it's not working. Today in class he ignored me," I said.

"You need to give him time Sakura. He was probably confused or…or maybe he couldn't handle it," Tenten suggested. I shook my head warily.

"Tenten, there was something wrong with him, but he didn't want to talk about it. I think must've happened to him a long time ago and he's trying to hide it away from me. But why?" I said. "I thought he could trust me. I mean, I trust him completely."

"I think you're on to something, Sakura," she said. "Mr. Uchiha probably has a dirty little secret that he's not willing to tell you."

"But what could be so bad that he wouldn't want to tell me?" I asked. He mentioned he was a rebellious teenager…but how far did he actually go? "Tenten?"

"Just promise me that you'll try to leave him alone Sakura. He's a grown man and I'm sure he has his own reasons for not telling you some things," she said.

"Why does everyone still treat me like a child? I'm old enough to understand some adult things," I said. "Sasuke never used to treat me like that," I said as an afterthought.

Tenten sighed deeply. "Just promise me that, okay?" she said.

I'm probably contradicting myself, but I _can't _live without Sasuke. I won't just sit back and let him get away. I need explanations. I need answers. And he's the only one who can give them to me.

Okay, so all that was just a lame excuse to justify my need to talk to him and patch things over. I acted too rashly and I was beyond upset when I walked out on him and thought I could actually walk out of his life. I love him too much to do that. This is why I nodded my head and lied to Tenten. But she didn't need to do that.

I can't believe I'm actually going to do this. I'm going to spy on Sasuke and unravel all of his deepest, darkest secrets, in the hopes of winning him over again. Because I just have to.

--End of Chapter Seven--

**A/N: We hope you liked the chapter. PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**And just to let you know, we're also currently working on some new stories- The End is Not Goodbye and Starving to be Beautiful. The first one is a NaruxHina love story and the second one is a ShikaxIno romance/angst story. Expect to see them posted soon. **


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: So, we're like SUPER excited and happy because of all the amazing feedback. Honestly, we didn't think this story would do that good because we assumed that people wouldn't like it, or they wouldn't be interested in it, or whatever. Well, we were WRONG. You guys seem to love it just as much (or maybe even more) as we do. And that's great! It's you (the wonderful readers) that encourage us to write better and faster. _

_Thanx for reviewing: SakuraPetals14, kirei na yukki, KitChi, CrystalSak, lalagirl555x, sasusaku0129, 789, Popping Fresh, WildCherryLollipop, Emo Alchemist, WooHooDork, , sasusaku779, SasuSaku Forever and Ever, lumierediva, VivaDiva, Akemi Akira, sailormoonloverlol, SCB2011, ShikaGirl1990, Angel32, Ayuutan, ChristinaAngel, and xXsuki-desuXx._

_Previously on __Teaching Me__-_

_**I'm probably contradicting myself, but I can't live without Sasuke. I won't just sit back and let him get away. I need explanations. I need answers. And he's the only one who can give them to me. **_

_**Okay, so all that was just a lame excuse to justify my need to talk to him and patch things over. I acted too rashly and I was beyond upset when I walked out on him and thought I could actually walk out of his life. I love him too much to do that. This is why I nodded my head and lied to Tenten. But she didn't need to do that. **_

_**I can't believe I'm actually going to do this. I'm going to spy on Sasuke and unravel all of his deepest, darkest secrets, in the hopes of winning him over again. Because I just have to.**_

**Chapter Eight**

It's Wednesday and the weather outside is rather gloomy. The sky is full of huge, gray clouds and it's threatening to rain. But that's not going to stop me. I've waited a whole week to put my plan into execution.

Just yesterday I ruined my car so I'd have a good enough excuse to use my dad's car while mine is getting "fixed." On his part, my dad is using the other car he sparingly uses, unless he wants to go to the country and fish or whatever. Now, as I'm in the school parking lot, my dad's car is indistinguishable.

I get in the car and open the glove compartment, taking out a pair of sunglasses and a colorful head scarf. I wrap the scarf around my head to hide my noticeable pink hair and put on the dark sunglasses. I look at my rear-view mirror and smile a little, amazed at the transformation. You can't even tell it's me.

I turn on the radio and wait. I'll admit that as calm as I look on the outside, my heart is beating fiercely. I'm so scared and nervous. What if Sasuke catches me and he gets mad? I don't want him to hate me any more than he probably already does. Everyday in his class is torture. I want him to look at me again…not keep ignoring me like some gross disease. Sometimes, when he passes my desk to help another student, I feel like reaching out to him and grabbing his hand, just to touch him and know I'm not alone. I don't want to forget our memories together, because they did exist secretly.

I look outside and easily spot Sasuke. His hands are inside his coat's pockets and he's looking down as he walks. I see him get into his car and I recognize that as my cue. I slowly back out from my parking space and weave into the after school traffic. He's only two cars in front of me and that's safe enough for now.

I follow him, not too closely. I've spent this whole week researching detective movies so I don't fail at this spying thing. Mistakes are possible, though.

After ten minutes, Sasuke pulls up into a driveway and gets out of his car. I park on the opposite curb, watching intensely. He goes to his mailbox and takes out his mail before entering his house. Sasuke's house _is _rather small (like how his brother Itachi commented in that letter) but it's pretty and scenic. It's white with blue doors and windows. And the lawn is a healthy green with no weeds and there are a few flowers by the porch. I immediately fell in love with the house and wished I could live there with him.

I had to stop thinking about that, or I'd start bawling again. I sniffed a few times, trying to control my urge to cry. Then I opened my car door and stepped outside. As I walked to Sasuke's house, my fear didn't die down. I was scared that he'd come out any second and discover me. But I pushed that fear aside and crossed the street, looking over my back cautiously.

I made my way to the side window and peeked inside. It was Sasuke's living room, and he was sitting on the couch. The T.V. was on, but he wasn't paying attention to it. Instead, he was reading a letter and smiling the same smile he reserved only for me. I frowned a bit, not knowing what this meant. He was happy, but why? I thought I was the cause of his happiness.

I focused more on hi, my nose touching the glass window plane. Sasuke had his shoes off and his feet were placed on top of the coffee table in front of him. He ran a hand through his hair and smiled again before folding his letter. Sasuke got up and I strained my neck to see where he was going- the kitchen.

A few minutes later and he sat down on the couch again, with a warm mug of tea in his hand. His attention was on the T.V., which was showing a movie about people living in outer space. Totally futuristic. Sasuke changed the channel to a comedy sit-com and left it there.

I watched him for twenty minutes, completely captivated by the slightest movement he made. The feeling of shame hadn't sunk in yet. I should have felt guilty for spying on him, but I didn't. I compromised the situation to not make it seem as bad. He broke my heart, so I had every right to do what I was doing. It's so childish and immature of me, I know, but I don't care.

God must've heard my thoughts and been upset by them because it started to rain profusely all of a sudden. Crap. I ducked down, knowing that most people look out their windows when it first starts to rain. It's an instinctive gesture.

The rain was coming down hard and in a matter of seconds, I was soaked. Shivering, I quickly ran towards my car. But the grass was so wet and muddy that I slipped. Oh great. My jeans had mud stains on them now. But deep down I knew I deserved to fall.

I got up and went to my dad's car, getting the interior seat wet. I cursed, mad at myself. And by the time I arrived home, I was grateful it was raining because no one could see my tears.

"Sakura," my dad said when he saw me. He must've gotten home from work early. I guess there are not that many cases or lawsuits right now. "You're soaking wet!"

"I'm fine dad. It's just…it's just…a-choo!" I sneezed.

"You don't look fine to me. I want you to go to upstairs to your room right now," he said. "We do have those soups in a cup, don't we? You know the ones that you just microwave?"

"Yeah," I said, already on the 3rd step. "I think they're in the second pantry to the right."

"Okay. Well, just lie down and…," dad said, his voice drifting away as he went to the kitchen.

I sighed. I hate getting sick.

I went to my room and took off my wet clothes and put on my pajamas. I grabbed my sketchbook and lied down on my bed. I sneezed a couple of times before finding the page I wanted. Sasuke. I remember when I drew him. We had gone to the art museum that day and ate at a restaurant afterwards. Everything was perfect then. We had kissed and laughed like a happy couple.

Now, looking at that drawing of him, all I see is memories, because that's all we have now. I can't change what happened between us and I'm hoping Sasuke still feels those strong emotions inside him, because I don't want him to forget and move on. I'm not ready for that. I still need him- more than ever now.

He's made an imprint in my heart that won't ever go away. And no matter how many times it breaks, that mark will always be there.

--

The next day I woke up feeling a bit better, although I kept sneezing. My nose was blotchy, but I didn't mind. Dad could fuss over me if he wanted to.

"Are you sure you want to go to school?" he asked, fixing his tie.

"Yeah," I replied, taking a sip from my orange juice. "It's just a small cold. I'll be okay."

"Do you want me to drive you?" dad asked.

"No, that won't be necessary," I said.

"Oh, that reminds me. I was so worried about you yesterday that I never bothered to ask where you were after school," he said. He raised an eyebrow, waiting for me to answer.

I took another sip from my OJ, trying to buy extra time to think. "I…umm…I was with Hinata in the library. We were researching for a project," I said. "In fact, we're going there again today. It's a _really _big project, so I might be busy the whole week," I emphasized.

Dad nodded his head. "Okay. Well, I better be going now," he said. He stood up from his chair and gave me a kiss on the forehead before picking up his briefcase and leaving.

I quickly stood up and practically ran to his private den. I searched through the big drawer near the lamp and finally found the binocular I was looking for. I wouldn't have to leave my car now.

I carefully put things back where they were and put the binocular in my backpack. By the time I arrived to school, the bell had already rung, so I entered the classroom sorta late. Everyone turned their head to look at me. Even Sasuke.

"Next time Ms. Haruno, try to come to school on time," Sasuke said, his gaze not exactly meeting my eyes.

"S-Sorry Mr. Uchiha," I said, clutching tightly onto my grammar book. Come on, please look at me, I'm begging.

"Take a seat," he said with a gesture of his hand. I nodded and made my way to the back of the classroom and sat down next to Naruto. I stifled my gasp. Sasuke didn't even look at me. He…He just…

…blew me off like an insignificant leaf.

And yet- this is the crazy part- I still love him. This is the man who broke my heart, but somehow he's also the glue who's keeping it together.

"Sakura? Hey…Sakura?" Naruto whispered to me, leaning towards me. I looked at him and slowly shook my head.

"Not now Naruto," I whispered back. I opened my grammar book and tried to pay attention to Sasuke's lecture. But the hurt was still there.

A half hour into the class and my nose started to tingle. I sneezed repeatedly. Um…ew. I blinked a few times to clear myself up. I sneezed again a minute later. Suddenly, I felt his presence near me and I looked up to see Sasuke standing next to my desk, concern written in his eyes. He was _finally _looking at me. I could've screamed with joy.

"Sakura, are you feeling well? Do you want to go to the nurse's office?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm fine," I said, with a small smile, all hope coming back to me.

Sasuke's face stayed still and emotionless as he said," Are you sure? You can always leave if you don't feel well."

"I'm fine," I said defensively. I can't believe it. The first time he _looks _at me in days, and he tells me to leave?

He looked slightly alarmed, and then lowered his eyes to the floor. "Okay, then," Sasuke said, continuing with his lecture.

--

Lunch wasn't any better. I was quiet as usual, lost in my own thoughts, when someone decided to interrupt them.

"Sakura, we're going to the ice skating rink tomorrow and you're going to tell me what the hell is wrong with you," Hinata declared.

"Nothing's wr-," I tried to deny, but Naruto cut me off.

"Oh yeah there is," he said. "Sak, we're worried about you and we think you need an intermission."

"Intervention," Hinata corrected him.

"Right. That's what I meant to say."

"Sakura, why don't you open up to us anymore? We used to tell each other everything," Hinata said to me.

"You guys just don't get it," I said.

"Get what?" Hinata asked. I shook my head, not wanting to explain.

"You two love each other, right?" I asked, going with a different approach.

"Of course," Naruto said, putting his arm around Hinata. "And we love you too."

"But not in the same way," I pointed out. "Anyway, if the love you feel is so great and strong, will you do _anything _to protect it?"

"Yes," Hinata said, "but what does this have t-"

"Just listen, please. Okay, so if you're willing to protect your love-"

"You already said that," Naruto cut in.

"Naruto! Stop interrupting! Will you let me finish?" I said, getting frustrated by the second. "How far would you go to protect your love?" I asked them.

"As far as I could go, I guess," Naruto said. "That's a weird question, though."

"You totally missed the point, Naruto. I think Sakura is trying to tell us that…that she's in love," Hinata said slowly, giving me a sharp, surprised look. "It this true?"

I blushed. I don't think love is a strong enough word for what I feel for Sasuke. At times, I feel like I should despise him, but I can't. My heart knows it would kill me to have those hateful feelings towards him.

"Ooo…Sakura's blushing!" Hinata said. Naruto grinned.

"C'mon. Tell us who it is," he said.

"It's a secret," I said quietly. I found myself smiling, taking pleasure in the only thing I hold dear.

"Do we know him?" Hinata asked.

"No," I said. They don't know the Sasuke I know.

"Well, enough with the suspense. Who is it?" Hinata asked.

"I told you, it's a secret," I said.

"It's not that defendant guy, is it?" Naruto said.

"Who?" I asked, my mind drawing a blank.

"You know, that one guy who kept coming to your house to-"

"Oh…him," I said, remembering the fake guy I made up weeks ago. "No, it's not him." Did I even give him a name? "You two are being so nosy. The point of keeping a secret is that no one knows about it."

"But we're your best friends, Sakura. I'm sure that counts for something," Naruto said.

I shook my head with a small smile, relishing in their discomfort of not knowing. "Sorry," I said. "That's as far as I'm opening to you guys about that."

"We're still kidnapping you to the skating rink," Hinata said. "When was the last time we hung out anyway?"

"Too long to remember," Naruto commented. "You're always busy now."

"Well…," I said, deciding that one day with my friends was a whole lot more interesting than spying on Sasuke. I feel so isolated from them. And the truth is that I miss them.

"Oh, c'mon! You have to go with us," Naruto said. I laughed (my first real laugh in days) and nodded.

"Okay. I'll go, I'll go," I said. "You two win." They both smiled and we continued eating our lunches.

--

Today is a lot easier. Except for the sneezing and diminishing fear, I feel at ease as I look through the binoculars. They work perfectly and I'm amazed at how clear and focused everything looks. Even though Sasuke is so far away, he's so close as well.

Right now he's lying on the living room floor and he's exercising. He moved his furniture to the side to give him enough space. Sasuke's wearing sweatpants (like how I always pictured him in) and a white wife-beater. He looked different; tougher, almost dangerous.

He's doing crunches and I find myself counting with him. 87...88...89...90...all the way to 100. He switches his position and does push-ups: 200 in total. Then Sasuke brings out a stand with a punching bag hanging from it. He begins slow, trying to get a steady pace with every hit. I notice he's not wearing any gloves.

Sasuke quickens his pace and beats the bag harder now and I can tell by his facial expression that he's grunting. This continues for almost ten minutes and he's worked up a sweat. He grabs a towel lying on the couch and wipes his face with it. He sits down with his head cradled in his hands, hiding his face from view. I lower the binoculars from my eyes and look at my lap. I realize that Sasuke is all alone in that house. It's just him with his own solitude.

I feel…I want to go with him right now and comfort him. I want Sasuke to know he's not alone; I'm right here and I'll never leave or abandon him. I want him…I want…everything to be perfect again, when we were together and so happy.

I start the ignition and slowly make my way back home. I pull up to my driveway and open the front door. Silence greets me. I turn on the closest light switch and sit down on the couch. I'm alone as well.

That night I paint. Of what, I'm not exactly sure. All I know is that my hand grabs the brush and moves seamlessly across the blank canvas. I chose colors that my mind hadn't registered yet and I realized that I have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just painting for the sake of escaping my world. And I like that feeling.

Nothing matters.

Time passes. I briefly look up at the clock in my art studio and gasp when I see that two hours have passed. I look back at my canvas and finally _see_ what I've been mindlessly painting for so long.

It's a little boy. He has black hair and dark eyes that are smiling. He's alone in a park and there are hundreds of tulips nearby. The little boy is swinging and I can almost hear him laughing and the wind blowing his hair.

It takes me a second to know what I've just done. I blink, astonished I could create something like that. Sasuke's the little boy and he's playing in the small tulip field we used to go to spend time with each other. He told me he used to play there once when he was small and the old park still existed.

The good old days…where have they gone?

--

The alarm clock ringing woke me up the next day. I yawned and wondered what time I had gone to bed because I was still sleepy. Which is odd for me.

I took a shower and got dressed before joining my dad for breakfast. He looks much older today and he has more gray in his hair. "Good morning, sweetie. Are you excited?" dad asked as I sat down.

"Excited? For what?" I asked, pouring myself a bowl of cereal.

"It's Friday," he said.

"Oh. That fast, huh? Well, I have plans with Hinata and Naruto today," I informed him, being honest this time.

"What are you three doing?" he asked.

"We're going ice-skating," I replied.

"That should be fun," he said.

"Yeah. I haven't gone ice-skating in about four months. Hopefully I don't fall flat on my butt. That'd be so embarrassing," I said. Dad chuckled.

"I saw your painting. It's really good Sakura," he said, changing subjects. I gulped down the cereal in my mouth.

"When did you see it? I barely finished it last night," I said.

"Yes, I know. I saw it when I found you asleep in the art studio. You left the light on, so I thought you were still up. It was pretty late, though. I didn't want to wake you, so I just carried you to your bedroom," he said.

"Oh," I said. "Thanks, dad."

"Where did the inspiration come from? The little boy looked familiar," he commented.

"Umm…it just came to me, I guess. The little boy is no one, just someone I made up," I said.

"You know, you should really enter that painting in an art show. I know it'd win," dad said.

"I don't know…," I said. "That painting is more of a private thing. I don't want people to see it and judge it. There's not much of a message to it."

"But of course there it. You just have to figure it out," he said. I shrugged.

Well, I have to get going. Bye dad," I said, getting up and leaving.

"Bye," he called out. I'm surprised he also hasn't asked me why my car is taking forever to get fixed. Oh, well, he must be busy.

I arrived at school with five minutes to spare. I went to my locker and opened it when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around, thinking it was Hinata or Naruto, but I was wrong. It was _him._

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked.

"The bell is going to ring in a few minutes," I said, my heart beating fast.

"I know. But this won't take long, I promise," he said. I looked at him and slowly nodded my head.

"Alright," I replied. "It's been a long time since we last talked."

"Yeah. I just want to apologize to you. I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you," he said. We were walking along the hallways and ended up near a dark-lit, lonesome corner. The school should really fix that light. "Will you forgive me? I still feel bad, even after all this time."

"Yeah, I forgive you," I said, not one to hold a grudge. Then I smiled. "If it makes you feel any better, I think you're a great guy and you can easily make me laugh."

He smiled at that. "You know, Sakura, I wasn't lying when I said that you're pretty. It's a shame, really…Anyway, my feelings are still sincere." He caressed my cheek. "God, you're so hot." Then he crashed his lips on mine and started kissing me forcefully and desperately. My eyes were open in surprise and that's when I noticed Sasuke standing behind us, frozen in place, and watching everything. Oh, no. No. His gaze met mine and I could see the disappointment in them. Then he walked away.

All of this happened in a few seconds before I actually reacted. "Gaara!" I cried out, pushing him away from me. "Snap out of it!"

"I'm sorry. I-I just couldn't help myself," Gaara said, running a frustrated hand through his red hair. I was seething madly.

"Control yourself, dammit," I said.

"I'm so sorry," he continued saying, reaching and groping out for me. I flinched back. "Sakura?"

"Leave me alone, Gaara, please. I really don't want a reason to dislike you," I said, holding myself protectively.

"I understand," he said, looking down at his feet. "But-"

"I gotta go," I said, cutting him off and leaving. I practically ran to class, not wanting to be late again. I almost bumped into Naruto, who was running late also. When we got there, I was relieved to find that we had a minute left.

"Hey Sakura. What's wrong? You look shaken up," Naruto said, concerned. I didn't want to tell him. Gaara is one of his friends and I don't want to ruin their friendship.

"Nothing's wrong Naruto. I'm fine," I reassured him.

"Alright, if you say so," he said, looking doubtful.

"Good morning class," Sasuke said, entering the classroom. Shit. Is he mad at me? I mean, he just saw another guy kissing me. Is he jealous? Hurt?

"Please take out a piece of paper. We're going to take notes today," he said, pulling the over-head screen down. Then he turned on the projector. I watched him, looking for any signs of his emotions. But he kept his face professional. I wish I could just explain to him what happened, but he probably doesn't even care.

The rest of the day wore on. I met up with Hinata and Naruto at the ice-skating rink after school and forgot about everything going on in my life and just had fun. I goofed off with my friends and even fell once or twice, taking them down with me. I definitely needed that.

--

_****How did we get here? **_

_**Well, I used to know you so well…**_

_**How did we get here?**_

_**Well, I think I know…**_

I groaned under my warm bed covers, but answered my cell phone anyway. "Hello?" I said, wiping my eyes.

"Sakura? Oh, good, you picked up."

"Tenten, is that you? Do you have any idea what time it is?" I said.

"Yeah, it's time that you get your butt here at the café and get to work," Tenten said. "Seriously, where have you been all week?"

"Incognito," I said with a small smile.

"Where?" she asked.

"Never mind," I said. "I'll be there in about 15 minutes, okay?"

"Okay. We've got a _lot _of catching up to do," Tenten said. "Bye."

"Bye," I said, then hung up. I yawned and slowly made my way to my closet and picked out an outfit. I went downstairs and left my dad a note on the fridge so he wouldn't be alarmed when I was gone.

"Sakura, you're here!" Tenten said when I arrived.

"Hey to you too," I said, grabbing my apron from the hook it was hanging on. "Where is everybody? You made it seem like such a big emergency."

Well, it is. What's going on? Are you feeling any better? How are things with Sasuke?" Tenten asked curiously. I sighed, somewhat prepared for the ambush of questions.

"I think they're even worse," I said. Then I filled her in on the whole Gaara kissing me situation.

"No way!" Tenten said, shocked. "And are you sure Sasuke saw it?"

"Yeah, I'm positive. Our eyes met for, like, a second then he left," I said, rearranging the mugs on the counter. "He won't talk to me, he won't even look at me anymore."

"Men…I don't get them. But it'll be okay Sakura," she said, patting my shoulder.

"When? When will it be okay? I can't take this any longer. Sasuke's still _here_," I said, placing a hand to my heart. "You told me to give him space, to give him time, but everything's worse. I feel like he's already moved one and I am the idiot who's still waiting for him to take me back." My eyes were tearing up then.

Tenten remained quiet for awhile. "M-Maybe you've got everything wrong. I saw the way Sasuke looked at you…I wish someone would've looked at me like that," she said softly. I stared at her, seeing her sadness.

"Tenten…did something happen to you?" I asked. She laughed dryly.

"No. Exactly the opposite, actually. _Nothing _happened to me. Absolutely _nothing_," she said. "No one's ever loved me. Sure, I've had boyfriends, but the relationship always felt sorta empty, like it was missing something."

"I'm sorry," I said sincerely. "I didn't know." Tenten shrugged it off.

"Whatever. I don't really care anyway," she said, but I could tell she was lying.

"Has he been coming here?" I asked instead.

"No, not really," Tenten replied.

"Oh," I said, not surprised, but still hurt. He is avoiding me, trying to prevent us from meeting at certain places. Except at school, which is inevitable. I should get used to this, but I can't. Life seems more meaningless now. I can only hope with all the strength left in my heart that Sasuke will reach out for me again. I caught a glimpse of his loneliness before and I know he can't put himself through that misery any longer. He is human after all, and he'll have to give in to temptation again. The apple is riper this time.

--

I ended my shift at 1 p.m. and drove around until I found myself at Sasuke's house. I just sat in my car, staring at his peaceful home. Then I heard the sound of a loud, annoying engine and I turned my head to see a shiny, red mustang. Whoa. What is a car like _that _doing here?

To my complete surprise, the mustang parked in Sasuke's driveway. The door opened and out came a woman. I couldn't see her face since her back was to me, but she had long, beautiful dark hair. She was wearing an elegant parka and the graceful movement of her walk suggested to me that this lady was classy. Very classy, indeed. She knocked on Sasuke's door with a gloved hand.

I didn't know what to make of this. Who was this woman? What was she doing here?

I didn't have to wait long to have my questions answered because Sasuke opened the door. His whole face lit up and he _hugged the woman tightly__. _I actually gasped out loud, my voice stuck in my throat. My eyes welled up with unshed tears. Is Sasuke in a _relationship_with this woman? Was she the reason why he ended things with me? Why he couldn't love me?

I forced myself to look up again and hated what I saw. Sasuke was greeting her inside to his house, his hand placed gently on the back. Jealousy, anger, and sadness all tore me up inside at the same time. I almost couldn't breathe; I was sobbing so hard. I rested my head on the steering wheel, trying to erase those images in my head, but I couldn't help it. They were burned into my mind.

My hands clenched around the wheel, grasping onto something to numb myself. I didn't want to feel anymore. I feel so betrayed and deceived to. Didn't our time together mean anything? Was I not good enough? Did Sasuke want a woman, not a girl? Did he want someone who was elegant, intelligent, beautiful, and could fulfill his desires?

Damn it all.

I heard an engine starting and looked up just in time to see Sasuke and his mystery woman leaving. I tried to catch a glimpse of her face, but I was too late. They were gone.

Minutes passed. I calmed down after a while. I stepped out of my car and hastily walked to Sasuke's house. I went to a window that seemed big enough and carefully opened it. My body was halfway through it when I realized what I was doing- sneaking into Sasuke's house. In the back of my mind, I knew this was wrong. But hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. I needed answers and they were all lying inside his house. What would I find? Pictures of the two of them? Her clothes lying around his bedroom?

It felt strange to walk on the same carpet that Sasuke walked on. I could smell him everywhere, his scent lingering. I pushed those thoughts aside and looked at the photos on the wall. There had to be something…

There was a picture of Sasuke with a guy who I assumed was his brother Itachi. They bore a unique resemblance to each other. There was one picture of Sasuke during his high school graduation that stuck out to me. He looked my age and so incredibly handsome.

I walked to a lamp table and tried to find something about the woman. But the only picture there was one of a younger Sasuke with another boy taken during his birthday. Sasuke was smiling (and missing a few of his teeth) and had his arm around the light blue-haired boy with sharp, fang-like teeth who was giving Sasuke "rabbit ears" behind his head.

I picked the photo up from the table and touched the Sasuke in the picture with my finger. I smiled bitterly, yearning to touch him again in real life.

"What are you doing here?" a voice said behind me.

I dropped the photo in my hands in utter surprise, the frame landing with a loud thud. No. No. No. This isn't suppose to be happening, but it's way too late to hide now. I've got to face this.

--End of Chapter Eight--

**A/N: Finally! It took us longer than expected to finish this chapter. And we just love cliffhangers! It's great to leave people guessing and wondering WHAT THE HELL is going to happen in the next chapter. It really isn't fair to you guys though, so the first seven people to review will get a *special* sneak peek of the upcoming chapter. **

****Anyway, Sakura's ring tone in the chapter is "Decode" by Paramore. Awesome song, we totally love it. And if you haven't heard it yet, go hear it. It's also in the Twilight soundtrack, which we can't wait for! From all the hype it's receiving, the movie better not disappoint. **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but here's the next chapter. We've been getting many pm's asking for us to update, update, update. But we've been extremely busy. Anyway, we're going to try to update the next chapter as soon as we can. :D**

**Previously on ****Teaching Me****-**

_I can't be here any longer. I have to leave. I finally uncovered Sasuke's skeleton and I wish I could just bury the truth again because I'd rather be ignorant and blissful than knowing this. This hurts too much. _

_I need to go. _

"_What are you doing here?" a voice said behind me. _

_No. No. No. This isn't suppose to be happening, but it's way too late to hide now. I've got to face this. _

**Chapter Nine**

I've been raised to be nice and cordial to people. And I like to think that I'm a good person by nature. Only utter surprise can explain why I said that to the woman standing only a few feet away from me.

"Y-You're old!" I exclaimed, pointing a finger at her. All those lines and wrinkles were clearly visible on her face, yet there was no denying that she was a grand beauty.

The woman just looked at me, confused and appalled. "Pardon?" she said. Then when she noticed I still had her credit card in my hand she got angry. "Were you expecting to rob from a younger person you thief?"

Crap. How the hell do I get out of this one? "Um, I know how this looks like, but…" But what? I'm in love with your husband and I sneaked into his house? How crazy does that sound?

"I'm calling the police. I told Sasuke he should've bought a house alarm but that boy never listens to me," the woman said, grabbing the phone.

"Wait, no! Please don't do that. I'm not a thief, I'm a friend of Sasuke's," I said, the lie forming in my head. "He needed his computer fixed and I offered to do it for him. He left a key under the doormat and that's how I got in. I'm so sorry for looking inside your purse…I just saw it and got curious. I just wanted to know who it belonged to." The last part was half-true anyway and the woman seemed to believe me.

I put her credit card back in her purse and handed it to her. "I didn't take anything else, I swear," I said.

"Are you _just _a friend of Sasuke's? He seems to have a lot of trust in you if he left you the keys to his house," she said, a slight edge to her voice. Oh no, she's probably jealous. "He never mentioned you to me. What's your name, dear?"

Oh god, she sounds so…so maternal. Gah! What does Sasuke see in her? Then is clicked to me. She and Sasuke bear a strong resemblance, and they have the same last name….I'm so stupid! This woman is not his wife, it's his mother. I let my jealousy get the best of me. I'm such a fool.

"I'm Sakura Haruno," I replied, bowing my head down in respect. After all, _she _gave birth to Sasuke.

"Sakura, what a pretty name," the woman, Mikoto, said.

"What's taking so lon- Sakura!" Sasuke said, entering the living room and spotting me. He froze, his eyes darting between his mother and I. Luckily, Mikoto broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Sasuke, I was just getting to know your wonderful friend here," she said, smiling at me. I smiled back politely. Sasuke didn't smile. "She told me that she fixes computers and was going to fix yours." Uh-oh, I feel a lecture coming on.

"Now, Sakura said that you left a key under the doormat?!" Mikoto said, incredulous. "Sasuke! I can't believe you do that. Do you know how dangerous that is? Anyone could come into your house," she said, lecturing him. But Sasuke wasn't listening. He was staring intently at me. I looked down at the floor, ashamed.

"You're right mom," Sasuke said, knowing that's what she wanted to hear. Smart son. "If you don't mind waiting for a bit, I'll take Sakura to my room so she can fix my computer. It won't take long," he said. I just stood there, not wanting to face Sasuke's wrath because his silent glare said it all. He was beyond mad.

"Sure. It'll give me a chance to clean up around here. I noticed some dirty dishes in the sink," she said.

Sasuke took hold of my arm and we headed towards his room. I stayed silent, not daring to speak. His touch, though, sent a hot, electrical impulse throughout my body. When was the last time he even held me?

His room was neat, but cluttered with too many books. His bed was on the far left next to his bookcase. Across from that was his small desk with a computer, and then his closet was to the right of his TV and mini-fridge. Sasuke had let go of my arm to close the door behind him. Now his whole attention was focused on me.

"Your mother seems nice," I said in a pathetic attempt of small talk. Only, I was looking at his carpet. It hurt too much to look him in the eye. I don't want to see his anger.

"Sakura, what are you _really _doing here in my house?" he asked, no tenderness in his voice. He sounded so cold.

"I…I wanted to see you," I said lamely. I felt his hand cup my chin as he forced me to look up at him.

"Well, now you've seen me," he said. "Are you satisfied?" No. I wanted him to hold me and kiss me. "How'd you even know I live here? I'm sure the school didn't give you my address."

"I followed you in my dad's car," I said quietly.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, obviously trying to control his anger. He told me once that he could have a mean temper. "You've been following me?" he asked skeptically. I nodded my head. "Sakura, what did you expect to gain from that?" he said through clenched teeth. "I ended it between us in hopes that you'd move on and forget about me. I'm your teacher, not your lover anymore."

He might as well have slapped me across the face; it would've been less painful. "That hurts Sasuke," I said, my eyes welling up with tears. "Is it really that hard for you to try to love me back? Because I haven't forgotten the special moments we've shared. And don't use that teacher bullshit with me. I don't care about that. To me, you're just Sasuke- the man that I love."

"No. I'm not someone you should be in love with. You can do so much better than me, Sakura, you don't even realize it," he said.

"There is no one better. It's you Sasuke, you're the only one I want," I said, desperately trying to make him understand. "I feel so happy being with you, I don't know, it's like you bring out the good in me. Did I not have a single impact on you?"

"I…I don't love you, Sakura. So, please, give up," Sasuke said. "You're still young enough. Your feelings for me will go away and you'll meet someone else who'll make you happy. And you two will deserve each other."

"And we don't?" I gasped out. "We don't deserve to be happy together?"

"_You _deserve every happiness in this world. I don't," Sasuke said.

"Why?" I asked. It just didn't make any sense.

Sasuke sighed. "It doesn't matter. We should go back, my mom's waited long enough." He opened the door, gesturing at me to follow him. I didn't move. "Sakura, please, don't be difficult."

"Fine. But we need to talk and finish this conversation."

"There is nothing left to discuss," he said. "It's over."

I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry. Okay, maybe a tear or two.

"Why are you being so cruel?" I said before leaving his room and heading towards the front door. I wiped away any tears that I leaked, careful that Sasuke couldn't see. But he was right behind me. "Good bye Mrs. Uchiha. It was nice meeting you," I said to her.

"Oh, you're leaving?" she said, looking disappointed.

"Yes, Sakura is very busy," Sasuke said.

"You can't be _that _busy not to join us for lunch at least," she said.

"But Mrs. Uchiha-"

"No, no, don't try to weasel your way out of this. I'm not going to take no for an answer. And call me Mikoto, dear," she said with another of her warm smiles (the kind that made me miss my own mother).

"Okay, sure," I said, not finding a way to refuse. Besides, this was an excuse to spend extra time with Sasuke.

"Great. I'll just get my purse and then we'll be off," Mikoto said.

I looked at Sasuke for his approval, but he just shook his head at me. "Sakura, you could've said no," he whispered.

"But your mother kept insisting. I didn't want to be rude," I whispered back.

"Okay, I have my purse. Let's go," Mikoto said.

------------------------------------------------------------

The restaurant was a café/diner with tables inside and outside. It was out of town, thank god, so Sasuke and I didn't have to worry about being seen. Still, Sasuke insisted that we get a table inside, but it was such a nice day so we sat outside. Mikoto looked pleased at herself when she made Sasuke and I sit next to each other. Her strategy was this: Sasuke had already sat down on one side, so Mikoto sat across from him. I was going to sit next to her, but a family nearby needed an extra chair so Mikoto gave them _my _chair. I had no choice but so sit next to Sasuke, much to his displeasure.

"Well, now that we have the seating arrangements all settled, what should we get?" Mikoto said, looking at her menu. As Sasuke grabbed his menu, his arm briefly brushed my elbow. I knew he felt that wonderful tingling sensations I also have when we touch.

"Sorry," he muttered to me, trying to create some distance between us so we weren't as close.

"I feel like having…oooh, grilled shrimp! That sounds delicious, doesn't it?" Mikoto said, oblivious to the exchange that had happened between us. "Sakura, what are you getting?"

"Umm…I…," I said. I hadn't really looked at the menu yet.

"I suggest a turkey sandwich with fries. It's one of your favorites," Sasuke said. He would know.

"Yeah. I'll just get that," I said, smiling at him. He didn't return the smile.

The waitress came and we gave her our orders and drinks. A few minutes later she returned with myDr. Pepper, Sasuke's coke, and Mikoto's raspberry iced tea. "Your food will be ready in about five more minutes, okay," she said, then left.

"So, Sakura, I assume that you're majoring as a computer technician," Mikoto said, sipping on her drink. "Or have you already graduated?"

"She wants to become a doctor," Sasuke answered for me.

"Sasuke, let the girl answer for herself," she said. "Is he always like this with you?"

"Not really," I said. "He usually lets me speak my mind. That's what I like most about him." I glanced at Sasuke over the corner of my eye. He was fidgeting with the salt shaker. "But enough about me. How's your son Itachi?" I asked, changing subject.

Mikoto's face brightened up. "He's getting married in the summer," she said ecstatically.

"Congratulations," I said. "Sasuke, you didn't tell me this." Then I remembered. Duh. We haven't spoken in weeks. I wonder what else is going on in his life that I don't know about. I shouldn't be nosy, but I feel so left out. Sasuke used to open up easily towards me. Now he just won't let me near him like that again.

"…involved in everything. His fiancé, Sora, is such a sweet girl, you should meet her. I think you'd like her. But she has a bland taste when it comes to fashion. I told her I'd accompany her to the bridal store and help her pick out a dress," Mikoto said.

"But wait, Sasuke, didn't you say that Sora was an aspiring model?" I asked. Shouldn't she have a great sense of style or something?

"Aspiring being the keyword," Sasuke said. Mikoto rolled her eyes. I tried not to laugh.

"Trust me, he's just as excited for his new sister-in-law as he is for his brother. Right, dear?" she asked.

"Yeah, we're all excited for the wedding. It's been long overdue," Sasuke said. "Itachi has his whole future planned with Sora. They'll be a very happy couple."

"Now, Sasuke, what about you, son? Will I ever hear any wedding bells for you?" Mikoto said.

"No, never," he replied. My eyes widened. I looked at him, but he was being totally serious. Why does he never want to get married?

"Oh stop that. You're handsome and smart- any girl would want to be your wife," Mikoto said, winking at me. I tried to hide my blush.

"I think you know my reason, mother," Sasuke said. Mikoto sighed wearily. Just then the waitress came back with our food and we started to eat. To be honest, I was ravenous. I hadn't eaten anything since this morning.

"Sakura," Sasuke said from next to me. I turned my head to look at him. I could see my face reflected in his eyes. "Have you done any new paintings?" he asked me.

"You're a painter?" Mikoto said. "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Actually, yeah, I've been working on several new paintings," I told Sasuke, glad that he was striking a conversation with me. I was starting to think I had made a mistake by joining them for lunch.

"I've been finding my inspiration in the weirdest things lately. My father says I shouldn't stay up so late to finish them, but it's a compulsion I have. I'm afraid that if I don't finish it then, all the magic will be gone," I said.

"Don't overwork yourself," Sasuke said. "Dark circles aren't very becoming on you.' I laughed.

"Well, I don't think dark circles are becoming on anyone," I said, biting into one of my French fries. "Which is a good thing that I work in a café."

"Hey that reminds me, you never gave me a special teacher's discount for my coffee," Sasuke said.

"What!" I blurted out. "I didn't know tha-"

I was interrupted by Sasuke's soft chuckling. "It's alright. I was only kidding," he said.

"That was a very bad joke," I said, grabbing a piece of chicken off his plate and eating it.

"Hey!" he said, trying to sound angry with me. But his expression was just too amused.

"You owe me," I said. "By the way, it needs more barbeque sauce," I told him.

"No it doesn't. Unlike you, I actually like to taste the chicken," Sasuke said. I smiled. This felt like the old times when we were comfortable being so free with each other. This is the Sasuke I know and love. This is the Sasuke that makes me laugh and makes me feel beautiful.

I noticed that Mrs. Uchiha was staring quietly at us, enjoying our easy banter. Feeling like she was being ignored, I asked how long she'd be visiting here.

"Oh, remembered I'm still here, eh?" she said with a smile. "Well, to answer your question, Sakura, I'm only staying until tomorrow then I'll leave the next day. My husband hates it when I'm gone any longer than that."

"Then why didn't he come with you?" I asked.

"Because my father's a workaholic," Sasuke said.

"Sasuke, you know that' not true. Your father worked very hard to maintain our lifestyle and give you boys a good college education," Mikoto said. "You should be appreciative and grateful of all the things we were able to give you."

"It's not that I don't appreciate it, because I do. But dad's been too obsessed with work. It wouldn't kill him to come visit me too, would it?"

"He misses you, Sasuke, and if he could, he would visit you, but…," Mikoto said, trailing off. Even she knew it was a lost cause.

I had been looking at the cars and people passing by, trying not to get involved in a mother/son conversation about good ol' dad. I knew because Sasuke told me himself that him and his father didn't have the best relationship. But now it seems like his father is avoiding him. Well, I know how that feels like.

I looked at Sasuke and gave him a smile to cheer him up. He stared at me for a second, the corners of his mouth lifting up, before popping a cherry tomato into his mouth. I smiled even bigger as one of his cheeks had a significant bump. He looked too cute. I resisted my urge to kiss him then.

"Well, you two, I almost forgot- how did you meet?" Mikoto asked us. Sasuke and I exchanged glances.

"Uh…you see…," I said.

"Yes…umm…," Sasuke said. Mikoto kept staring at us curiously. "It was so long ago…I forget, really," he said. But since I knew I was the better liar, I had to do it.

"Funny story, actually. Sasuke and I met in the library," I started off. "I was there trying to look for a poetry book and I must've been careless because I accidentally bumped into Sasuke, who was carrying a _large _stack of books. As you can imagine, all his books fell to the ground with a loud thud. Everyone turned to look at us. I was so embarrassed, I just kept apologizing to him." I found myself genuinely smiling as I came up with the made up story.

"Oh my," Mikoto said. Laughing. Sasuke looked bemused. I continued on.

"So after that embarrassing fiasco, Sasuke and I sat down and started talking. We found out we had a lot in common and since then we've been friends," I said. Where do I come up with these lies? Well, half-lies, since they always hold some truth.

"Well, I'm glad that Sasuke has a nice, pretty friend like you around," Mikoto said.

"Thank you m'am," I replied, taking a long sip from my drink.

We finished the rest of our lunch and Mikoto insisted that she pay for me since I was a "guest." Thankfully, all I had ordered was a turkey sandwich, so it wasn't expensive. Still, I felt bad knowing that I had more than enough money to pay for the check and leave a generous tip.

As we left the diner, it hit me that this was probably the last chance I had to finish my earlier conversation with Sasuke. I had to something if I wanted to settle things with him. We can't just leave it like this when there's still an obvious spark between us; that incredible sensation of knowing we belong together.

I started to panic. What if this is really it? Could I live with myself? Could he? I know regret would clutch at my heart if we let this amazing opportunity slip through our fingers. But I'll grasp at this with all my strength…because I really do honestly love him.

"Sakura," Mikoto said, interrupting my thoughts. "I would love it if you could accompany me on my shopping trip tomorrow. Sasuke doesn't want to come and I don't want to go alone…would it be an inconvenience for you?"

"No, not at all. It'll be my pleasure," I said.

"Great. I can pick you-"

"No! Umm…how about I just pick you up? It'll be much easier since I already know where you're staying," I said.

"Okay, then. I'll be ready by eleven," she said. I nodded my head and said goodbye to Sasuke and her. Tomorrow. I'll talk to him and fix things between us.

I walked back to my car, a small smile on my lips. Things were finally looking up and the sun seemed to shine brighter. When I got home, I went to my room and checked my cell phone for any messages. I had eight missed calls and two voicemails. All from Hinata. I listened to the first one.

"Sakura. I-I…I don't even know what to say…why don't you pick up your phone? This is _huge_! I'm freakin' out…What's going on with you and Mr. Uchiha?! I saw you sitting together outside this restaurant and…Sakura, the way you two were…just call me back, k? We need to talk."

Oh my god.

I listened to the other voice mail, my head reeling with so many thoughts. Did Hinata tell anyone else what she saw? Damn, did anyone _else _see us too? Why did we eat outside in the open? Is Hinata mad at me? Will she understand when I try to tell her? And (this part scares me the most) is Sasuke going to be in serious trouble?

"Sak, I'm coming over to your house right now. We have to talk about this. All I'm asking from you is that you'll be completely honest with me…I know there's something going on and it's not right…it just isn't right. I want to help you. I'll see you in a few minutes."

After hearing that, I collapsed on my bed. She _knows_. It's not a secret anymore. I'm so scared now. Is this why Sasuke ended it between us? Was he scared of people finding out and judging him? He'd be put straight to jail for having a relationship with a student, even though we haven't done anything sexual with each other besides kissing. And he's never touched me in an inappropriate spot before. Our relationship was always a chaste one. That's what made is so pure and romantic. As if the forbidden aspect of it wasn't complicated enough, sex definitely would've complicated it more.

How do I explain all this to Hinata without making it seem bad or worrying her? How do I tell her that I love him? How?

I heard the doorbell ring, followed by three loud knocks. "Sakura, I know you're in there! Your dad's car is parked outside," Hinata said. "Open up!"

I stood up from my bed and hesitated for a moment. There's no point in prolonging this any further. Hinata, who's always been my best friend since childhood, deserves to know the truth. I climbed down the stairs and walked to the front door. Breathing deeply, I opened the door.

Hinata just stared at me for a moment, as if I had suddenly grown another eye on my face or something. Then she shook her head and stepped inside. I closed the door behind her.

"We…we should go to my room to talk," I suggested.

"Okay," she said quietly and followed me. It was so awkward. Why isn't she yelling at me like she did a few minutes ago?

"Hinata?" I said, once we were both seated on my bed. "Are you mad at me?"

"No, I'm not mad at you. I'm mad at _him. _He has no right to just seduce you like that. He should know better, he's a teacher!" Hinata said, truly outraged and…was that disgust in her voice?

"Hinata, you don't understand. You've got it all wrong," I tried to explain.

"No, Sakura, don't try to make up excuses for him. He's got you all corrupted, but don't worry, I'll help you. Together, we can fix everything," Hinata said, grabbing both my hands in hers. There were tears in her eyes; she looked so fierce. I pulled my hands away.

"Sasuke hasn't corrupted me," I said. Hinata flinched when I said his first name. I didn't think it'd bother her. "He's a nice, smart mad who's never tried to force anything on me. I became attracted to him and it was me who sought him out. Can you try to comprehend that, Hinata? Everything I've done, I did it for myself," I said.

"So, Mr. Uchiha, knowing you had feelings for him, just thought it'd be okay to start a relationship with you? Does he even _like _you, or is he just using you?" Hinata said. She could only see Sasuke as the bad guy and me as the innocent victim. But she's wrong. Isn't she listening?

"It's not like that!" I exclaimed, totally offended.

"Sakura, he's a grown man, for Christ sake! And you're just a pretty high school girl. What else would a man want from someone like you besides sex, eh?" Hinata said.

"No! What Sasuke and I have is real," I said. "He listens to what I have to say, like it's the most important thing in the world. He can make me laugh and never bore me with conversation. He _gets_me. But you don't want to understand that, Hinata. Sasuke makes me feel _good _and…I love him."

Hinata covered her mouth and gasped. "S-Sakura, you don't know what you're saying. These feelings you have…they're not real. They can't be."

"Yes they are!"

"Oh Sakura, what has he done to you? This isn't you," she said.

"You wanted the truth, right? Well, this is it," I said. "I love Sasuke, and although he's been pushing me away, I know there's a good reason for that."

"He doesn't love you, does he?" she asked.

"He does. I saw it in his eyes today, for just a fleeting moment when he dropped his guard. It's what gives me hope that everything will right itself in the end," I said with a small smile.

"So you and Mr. Uch- sorry, Sasuke, you two haven't…you know…," Hinata said, blushing madly.

"No," I said immediately, blushing as well. Hinata sighed in relief. "I did promise I'd tell you of my first time, right?"

"Right. It's just…I had to know. You've been keeping a lot of things secret from me lately," Hinata said. "Okay then, tell me everything. Start from the beginning. I'm really interested to know when you first began to really like him as more than just a teacher."

"So you believe me?" I asked.

"I believe that you love him, yes. But I'm not sure about his feelings for you. You mentioned before that he's been pushing you away lately. Did something happen with you two? Did you have a fight?"

"More like a break," I said sadly. Hinata patted my shoulder.

"Who was the other woman? The one sitting next to you?" she asked.

"That was his mother. She's a nice lady. I like her," I said.

"But wh-"

"I'll explain later. But first I have to start from the beginning, remember? Otherwise it won't make much sense," I said.

I told Hinata of the first time I saw Sasuke, when he entered the classroom that day and I thought he was the most handsomest man in the world. But I wasn't too conceited that I based my "crush" on his looks alone. No, it was his deep internal struggle that I found intriguing. He was such a mystery; all the other teachers were easy to read and plain boring. I was never bored watching Sasuke.

His intellect and wit were a breath of fresh air for me. I didn't feel insecure about being a "smarty-pants" around him because we were both equals in that way. We were on the same level. That, I believe, is what drew us nearer towards each other. We shared a common ground, and learned we had a few of the same interests.

I noticed that Sasuke always seemed _alone _somehow. In the café, at school, he was always by himself. Except when he was with me. He seemed to try to make me feel better about myself. He made me feel not invisible, not meaningless, as if I were special. Sasuke encouraged me to not be afraid of being myself, because I was a unique individual who deserved to set herself free. And I felt so free when I was around him.

I related all this to Hinata and more. I told her about my first kiss with Sasuke, the tulip field we'd meet up at to just spend time together, the wonderful talks we'd have, the art museum we went to, the picnics, the roses he sent me while I was in Sicily, everything.

"I had to lie, of course, and tell my dad the roses were from you," I said. "I feel so bad, though, lying to him."

"But it was necessary," Hinata said quietly. She'd never lie to her dad about anything this big. She would fall apart from the stress of it all. Me, I've been living in a web of lies for so long and as much as I hate it (as much as I want to come clean) I know nothing good will come out of it.

"Sakura…I can't believe I didn't figure it out. All those times at lunch when you were quiet and not eating…I assumed you were sick half the time, but then you'd get this faraway look in your eye and I _knew_you were thinking about someone special. I just never knew it was Mr. Uchiha. Wow," she said.

"Yeah, wow," I agreed. "But there's more. Jeez, I really hate this next part I have to tell you. I'm so pathetic."

"No you're not," Hinata said.

"Yes, I am. Sasuke and I were in his classroom after school one day, kissing, and I told him I love him. Only he didn't say it back. He said he _couldn't_ love me but the biggest contradiction was in his eyes."

"What happened?" she asked.

"We had an argument and basically broke up, I guess. But my feelings for him are still here. So I've been spying on him for the past week," I said.

"You WHAT?!" Hinata exclaimed, surprised.

"I told you I was pathetic," I said. Then I explained to her what happened today at Sasuke's house and at the restaurant. I let out a huge sigh by the time I was finished.

"There's something he's not telling me," I concluded. "Something that happened in his past that he absolutely hates. But I can't fathom what it is. That's why I want to talk to him tomorrow."

Hinata remained silent beside me. I knew all this information was overload, but she had to know. "Shouldn't you just give up?" she said after a while.

"What? No! I can't. I love him," I said. "I love him too much to give up on him. Would you give up on Naruto?"

"No," Hinata said. "Think about it, though. What kind of future, if any, would you two have? People talk, Sakura. Even if you two waited a few years, people will still see it as some sort of scandal or something. And your father, what will he think? He won't approve, that's for sure."

"Sasuke and I would move somewhere else. I don't know, but we'd make it work," I said. "And my dad will just have to accept us."

Hinata sighed. "You make is sound so easy…so charming, even."

"I just want my happy ending, Hinata. Like everyone else," I said. She smiled at me.

"Yes, I hope you do get your happy ending, whatever it may be. So…you really think Mr. Uchiha is the one?" Hinata asked, excitement in her voice. I nodded my head at her. "It's so weird. It's hard to picture the both of you together in that way. But you explained it so beautifully. It's kinda romantic."

"Promise me you won't tell anyone, not even Naruto," I said.

"I promise," Hinata said. "I just wish you could've told me instead of keeping it a secret from me."

"I didn't know how you'd take the news. I was scared to say anything about it," I said.

"No more secrets, okay?" Hinata said, offering me her pinky.

"Okay," I said, hooking my pinky with hers.

-------------------------------------------------

The next day I got up and showered before heading down for a quick breakfast. My father was drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. "Are you going somewhere?" he asked, noticing my attire. I was wearing a purple baby-doll shirt under a black leather mini-jacket, skinny jeans, and black flats.

"Yeah," I said, pouring milk on my bowl of cereal. "I'm going shopping today with Hinata and we might do something else later on."

"You girls are inseparable. Wasn't Hinata here just yesterday?" dad asked. I nodded. After our talk, Hinata stayed over for dinner and we watched a movie on TV.

"Dad, do you need me to bring you back anything? A shirt, perhaps?" I suggested. Mikoto might be one of those wives who buy clothes for their husband and if we're going to be in the men's department, I might as well get my father something.

"Well, a new tie would be nice, I suppose," he said. "Don't stress yourself out when picking a design or something. Any tie will be fine with me."

I smiled. "I'll be sure to pick out the best tie in the store," I said. I finished my breakfast and went to my room to grab my purse. If things go my way, I'll forever be grateful to you God. Just please hear me out. You've taken away my mother; what else do you want to take from me? Let me keep Sasuke, please.

---------------------------------------------------------

DING-DONG!

I waited patiently outside the door. I could hear noised coming from the house, then I saw Mikoto's lovely face as she opened the door. We greeted each other with a hug and a smile. Mikoto smelled like cinnamon and some other warm spice.

"Sakura, let me take a look at you, dear. You look so pretty!" Mikoto said, inspecting me. Then in a quieter, conspiring voice she said," Between you and me, you dress much better than Sora." I laughed along with her and enjoyed our closeness.

"Should we get going then?" I said, trying to look past her into the house. No sign of Sasuke.

"Yes. Goodbye Sasuke!" she yelled in the direction of the living room.

"Bye mom," he said back, his voice sounding near but I still couldn't see him. Oh, well. Maybe later.

"We can go in my car," I suggested as we walked to the driveway. Before arriving here, I went to the auto shop and got my car back.

"This is a different car from yesterday," Mikoto said, sitting down on the passenger seat. She was admiring the leather interior of my Lexus.

"Yeah," I replied, heading out of the driveway. "The Mercedes is my dad's. He let me use it while my car was getting fixed. So, is there a particular store you want to go to or is the mall okay with you?"

"The mall is just fine," Mikoto said. "I don't want to seem nosy, but do you still live with your parents?"

"Just with my dad," I said, going for the honest approach. "My mother died eight years ago from skin cancer," I told her. I don't know why. I just feel like Mikoto's trustworthy; like I can tell her anything.

"I'm sorry sweetie," she said, patting my shoulder. "I know that must've been tough on you and your father. But at least you know she's no longer in pain anymore. I bet you she's smiling right now in heaven, happy to see that you've grown into such a wonderful young lady."

"Thank you," I said, appreciating her kindness. I tried my best not to cry. "That means a lot to me, Mikoto. If my mother were still alive, she would've liked you." And that was the truth.

"Here," Mikoto said when I stopped at a red light, offering me a tissue. I took it and wiped away any tears that accidentally leaked.

Fifteen minutes later we arrived at the Grand Mall. We entered several women's clothing stores, walking together with out arms interlinked. Mikoto kept the mood light with her easy conversation and she continued to ask me questions about myself. I told her that she shouldn't bother since I'm not interesting, to which she laughed and shoved me in a fitting room to try on a dress she picked out for me.

"Mikoto, I thought we were shopping for you. I don't really need to buy a dress. I'm not going anywhere festive," I said from inside the fitting room. Yet I tried on the dress anyway. It was exquisite. The bright sunflower yellow of the fabric brought out my features and clung flawlessly to my every curve. It was soft like silk with a modest v-neckline and a flowing hem that ended five inches above my knee. My favorite detail was the open cut in the back that stretched from my shoulders to a precise point in my lower back. I pushed my long, waist-length hair to the front so I could get a better look at it in the mirror.

"Does it fit right? I think you can adjust the straps and the bow can be tied tighter," Mikoto said from outside the door. I took her advice and retied the bow that was on the front so it cinched in more at my bust. Other than that, the dress fit perfect.

"What do you think?" I asked, opening the door and twirling around for Mikoto. She smiled gleefully and clapped her hands.

"Yes! I knew it would look beautiful on you when I saw it on the rack," Mikoto said, "And it's on sale, too. You should buy it, Sakura. I'm sure there will come a time when you'll find a reason to wear that dress," she said.

I smiled, thinking of Sasuke. Maybe in the near future if we ever went out on a _real _date, I'd wear this dress. I looked down at the price tag and told Mikoto I'd buy it.

We went to a few other stores, then decided to go to a shoe store where I could buy matching shoes for my dress (Mikoto's idea, not mine. But the woman can be persuasive…and stubborn). Afterwards, we went to a jewelry store where Mikoto bought herself a new watch because her old one was broken. Then (just like I predicted) we went to the men's clothing department where Mikoto bought her husband an oxford shirt and I got my dad a zebra print tie.

"You want to get a bite to eat?" I asked as I put all our bags in the trunk of my car.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather go home. I'm starting to get a terrible migraine," Mikoto said, touching her head soothingly.

"Sure," I said, closing the trunk and regarding her with a bit of concern.

Twenty minutes later we arrived to Sasuke's house. Mikoto's head was throbbing, so she ran inside to take some medicine for the pain while I took care of her bags.

"Here, let me help you with those," Sasuke said, standing by my side. He took all the bags from my hand, leaving me with nothing.

"Thanks," I said, following him inside the house. "Where's your mother?"

"She's lying down in the guest bedroom," he said, setting the bags down on the kitchen counter. "I'm going to make her tea for the headache," he said, filling a small kettle with water. He set it atop the stove, then turned to look at me. "Are you hungry or anything? I can make you a quick sandwich, if you want."

"No, thank you, I'm trying to avoid getting food poisoning," I said with a smile. "Although I'm sure your cooking isn't all that bad."

"I'll let you know that I can make a mean macaroni and cheese," Sasuke said, trying to sound offended. He smirked and tossed me an orange. "Eat something, please. For my sake, at least."

I started to peel the skin off my orange. "Sasuke, would now be a good time to talk?" I asked him. He stiffened. "There are some questions I want answered and you know it's not fair to keep me in the dark."

"Let's go to the living room, then," he said reluctantly. He sat down on the couch, his arms resting on his legs. I sat down a few feet away from him, but even that wasn't enough to not feel the warmth radiating from his body. "Ask away."

I gulped and licked my lips. "Something happened to you in your past, I'm sure of it. And that is what's keeping you from wanting to express your love for me, because it's so painfully obvious that you do. It hurts that you keep denying it over and over again, to you, and to me," I said.

"Sakura…I never meant to hurt you. That was never my attention. And if you are hurt because of me, I'm so sorry," he said, placing a hand on top of mine. I almost stopped breathing; it felt good to be touched by Sasuke once again.

"J-Just, please, tell me what happened. I need to know," I begged of him, intertwining our fingers together.

"You'll forever hate me, Sakura. I don't think I could live knowing that you'd hate me so much. I'm too selfish for that," Sasuke said.

"No, no, you're not. You just want to protect me from the truth, Sasuke. And I could never hate you, I love you too much to do that," I said. "I think I'm the selfish one, but I don't really care."

Sasuke chuckled quietly to himself. "And to think I thought you capable of hating. You're the gentlest person I know," he said. Then his expression turned somber and he let go of my hand.

"Are you finally going to tell me or am I going to have to wait until dramatic music plays in the background?" I asked, hiding my nerves with sarcasm. I was ready to hear it, but I wasn't in any way prepared.

FLASHBACK: (In Sasuke's P.O.V.)

_My friend Suigetsu and I were leaving a party and we had been drinking the whole night. We were sixteen at the time and behaving like total idiots. Our judgment was impaired from the alcohol and when Suigetsu offered to drive, I let him. That, I think, was my biggest mistake. _

"_I still can't believe your parents got you a car," Suigetsu said, changing the radio station. He ignored the STOP sign and continued driving. "You are one lucky bastard, Sasuke."_

"_I doubt I'm that lucky. I still have that stupid curfew my parents gave me," I said. _

"_How much time you got left?" Suigetsu asked. _

"_None. My curfew passed a half hour ago," I said, already dreading the lecture I was going to receive about tardiness and irresponsibility. If my parents thought I was so irresponsible, then why the hell did they buy me a car? Not that I was complaining. _

"_Don't worry, bro, I'll make sure you get home soon enough," Suigetsu said, stepping on the gas pedal. My body lurched back from the sudden increase in speed. "Ey, watch this," he said, swerving left and right on the empty street. _

_I pulled out a cigarette from my jacket and lit it up. I inhaled. "You want a smoke? Oh, I forgot, you quit," I said to Suigetsu. _

"_Yeah, and I thought you did too. Y'know my uncle Lao? He died from lung cancer a few weeks ago," he said. _

"_I'm not going to die," I said, but all the same, I snuffed out my cigarette and threw it out the window. I noticed Suigetsu passed another sign without stopping. Probably distracted by my smoking, he somehow ended up in the wrong lane. I didn't bother to tell him to change lanes; the street was empty anyway. _

"_Tonight was good," Suigetsu commented with a smile on his face. "I got to spend time with my girl and there was free beer."_

"Cheap _beer," I added. _

"_Whatever. There was enough alcohol in the beer to make me forget how bad it really tasted," Suigetsu said. I laughed. _

_I saw the oncoming headlights before I heard the honk, but I couldn't stop the inevitable. Suigetsu, in a crazy desperation, swerved the car to the right to avoid a fatal impact. The other car, unfortunately, wasn't so lucky. It hit the nearest telephone pole. Sparks of electricity flew everywhere. _

_My stomach cringed. The pole crashed down…on top of the car. _

END OF FLASHBACK

Sasuke's hand twitched. His brows furrowed together as he struggled to continue.

"But…they lived, didn't they?" I asked. "You called the ambulance and everything turned out okay, right?" I was reassuring myself with lies, but I felt tears escape my eyes.

"I'd be lying if I said yes," he said solemnly. "No. There were two passengers in the car- a father and his son. They were both instantly killed."

I shook my head, not wanting to believe it. "N-No. Please tell me that's not true. Please, Sasuke, tell me you weren't responsible for those people's deaths."

Sasuke looked up at me and I saw the wetness of tears glistening his cheek. His expression destroyed me.

FLASHBACK:

"_Shit! Shit! They're dead! Oh, Jesus Christ, they're fucking dead!" Suigetsu yelled hysterically. _

"_J-Just calm down! We've got to help them," I said, opening the door and stepping out. I felt sick to my stomach and my head was bleeding from where I smacked it on the side window. _

"_Didn't you hear me? They're _dead_, Sasuke. We've got to get out of here," Suigetsu said, turning on the engine. _

"_No. We can't just leave them here," I said, walking towards the wrecked car. I saw a small hand jutting out through the passenger window. It was covered in blood. "Oh, god, Suigetsu, it's a little boy. We killed him! Dammit! We…it's not fair…he's just a little boy."_

"_C'mon Sasuke," Suigetsu said, desperation blazing in eyes. His voice was full of it, too. "I think…I hear sirens."_

"_Dead," I whispered, a million miles away. "This is all our fault."_

"…_Sasuke!…"_

_Now we have to pay the consequences. _

"_Hey! What the hell is going on here? You two, what have you done?"_

"_Aaahhh!" Horror. Shock. People coming out of their houses to cruel reality. _

"_Someone, call the ambulance!"_

"_Call the police!"_

"_They've already been called. Look, they're here!"_

_-_

_-_

_-_

_Suigetsu and I got six months at a reform school, then a year and a half at a juvenile facility. We were sentenced 500 hours of community service and our licenses were revoked. Throughout that time, nothing changed between us. Suigetsu and I remained friends. _

_The death of those two people gripped me for so long. Sleep lost its comfort. I couldn't escape from my father's stare of disappointment and my own emptiness that resided in me beneath the guilt. I coped. But the dark shadows of my past lingered._

_-_

_-_

_-_

"…until I met you," Sasuke said, looking up at me. "Sakura, you changed me into a being that could feel truly happy again. But it felt to wrong, in so many ways. I don't deserve happiness. After taking away two lives, I don't even deserve mine either. I'm a murderer."

I remained silent, staring at nothing in particular. Then I turned to face Sasuke. But I didn't see a murderous monster. He looked deeply remorseful over what happened and I suddenly understood the emptiness in his eyes. Death can change a person. It turned Sasuke into a man who limits himself from experiencing true happiness. Now he silently grieves because that boy…that little boy died too young to fully experience a happy life.

"You're punishing yourself, aren't you?" I asked. "The blame lies on you, but you don't have to suffer forever. Guilt is an ugly thing, but it doesn't have to ruin your life."

"Sakura, please don't try to justify the things I've done," Sasuke said. "This is something I have to live with. I can't just forget that it happened."

"And yet you can forget about us? Sasuke, just because you did a horrible thing, it doesn't make you a horrible person. You have a good heart, one that I adore very much," I said, grabbing his hand and placing it on my lap. He quickly removed his hand. "In distancing yourself from me, do you realize that you're taking away _my _happiness?" I asked.

It was quiet between us. We were both scared to say something we'd regret. After a while, I stood up to leave; the silence was just too tormenting for me to handle.

"Don't go…please," Sasuke said, pleading with his eyes. I sat back down, itching to touch him again. "I know I've been cruel to you. All you've ever done is love me and I pushed you away. I hoped you'd be angry with me and would want to stay away. That would've made things easier. But you're _here, _with me, just as in love as before…and hurting. I'm sorry Sakura, for all the pain I have caused you," he said, taking my hand and kissing every finger.

I felt a sob building up inside me. His kisses healed the broken bit in me. It was enough for me to feel whole again.

"I have a special secret only for you," Sasuke murmured.

"Wh-What is it?" I breathed out, my heart fluttering with life again.

"I love you Sakura," he whispered into my ear. And that's when I really did cry, too full of emotion. I didn't care if my eyes were red and swollen, or if my nose was running; I was filled with indescribable joy in that moment.

"Thank you Sasuke," I said. "What I wanted was to hear those words from you."

"I love you," he said again, kissing my forehead. "I love you." He kissed my cheek. "I love you." He kissed my jaw. "I love you." He kissed the tip of my nose. I was laughing and crying at the same time.

"I love you too," I said, "but you already knew that." Then we stared at each other and slowly inclined our heads together, our eyes closing. Sasuke cupped my chin and I curled my hand around his neck as we kissed profoundly. It was a kiss that stole my breath away then returned it to me, filled with more life. It tasted like love; it was so sweet and painful (but in a good way).

The tea kettle whistled from the kitchen and brought our kiss to a shattering end. I kept my eyes closed, relishing the moment, as Sasuke jumped to his feet and hurried to the kitchen. I followed him a few seconds later.

"What does this mean for us?" I asked, handing Sasuke the sugar bowl. He mixed two spoonfuls into Mikoto's tea.

"It means," he said, stirring the tea, "that I'm not going to hurt the only girl who's truly loved me anymore." He paused and looked at me. "I don't want to be that man who lets the greatest miracle in his life slip away…because that's what you are to me. I never thought I could ever be this happy again, after what happened, I was drowning in guilt. But you changed that."

I smiled. To hear those words, it felt good to make a difference in someone's life. Especially someone you love.

"You awoke all these feelings within me…I forgot how it was to be happy and not be so lonely. It's so easy being with you, Sakura," he said. "I want us to be together."

"But?" I said. "Wait, there's no but?"

"I've already put myself through hell. Any consequences that might occur, well, I'll be ready to face them. Jail can't be that much worse," Sasuke said.

"Sasuke, don't, please," I said.

"I'm being realistic," he said.

"I know, it's just…I'd rather not think about the consequences when this doesn't even feel wrong. I mean, you're not taking advantage of me and I'm a willing participant-"

"You're still underage and a student of mine. Willingness doesn't change any of that," Sasuke said.

"I'll be turning 18 in a couple of months," I said to him. "Legally I'll be an adult and responsible for my actions. Just like you."

"For now, no matter how adult you may already be, you're not. So, until then, we'll just take things slow, alright?" Sasuke said.

"How slow?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind and resting my chin on his left shoulder. I could smell his aftershave.

"Very slow," he said, giving me a peck on the cheek and releasing himself from me. He grabbed the cup of tea and headed towards the guest bedroom.

"You're a roguish fiend, Mr. Uchiha," I said, smiling. "Do you tempt all the other girls like this, then torture them sweetly?"

"Are you trying to seduce me, Miss Haruno?" Sasuke said, a smile playing on his lips. "That's awfully wicked of you, but I can assure you it's not going-"

"Sakura, the seductress. You know, that has a nice ring to it. I might just find another victim to lay my trap on," I said. "But I don't know, I adore dark-haired men with a funny fetish for tomatoes. It's my only weakness."

We reached the room where Mikoto was and stopped our conversation. "Oh, Sasuke, dear, there you are. Is that tea?" she asked.

"Yes. How are you feeling mom?" he asked, handing her the cup of hot tea. She blew on it before taking a sip.

"Better. I think I'll just take a nap after I finish drinking this," Mikoto said, then she noticed me. "Sakura, you're still here? I thought you might've left by now." She was glancing between me and Sasuke, a curiosity in her dark gaze.

"I wanted to know how you were doing. But I'm glad to hear you're better," I replied. "I should be leaving now, though." Then I remembered she was leaving tomorrow on Monday. I walked to the bed, bent down, and gave her a hug. "I'm going to miss you," I whispered.

"Oh, sweetie, so will I. So will I," she said, rubbing my back. "Next time I visit, I'll make sure to plan a special day for just the two of us, okay?"

"It's a promise," I said.

-----------End of Chapter Nine-----------

**A/N: Please review!!**

**P.S. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is an awesome movie!! We're just disappointed that it totally skipped the fighting scene in Hogwarts and Dumbledore's funeral. I mean, c'mon, those were like the best parts of the book. Hopefully the last two movies do the book justice!**


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